Don't judge a book by its cover
by dippitydee
Summary: After the devastating Fourth Shinobi World War, Danzou took over as Hokage. Things are gradually returning to the way they were decades ago, when Konoha was plunged into darkness of terror and distrust. To Hinata, arranged marriage seems an insignificant occurence amidst, but not when it is to the one person central to all that has led to their current state – Kakashi Hatake. (AU)
1. Chapter 1

This was not how Hinata imagined things would go after the War. Yet, she almost expected something like that to happen. To be sold off to fulfil her duties before her clan and village. She did not expect it to happen so soon, though.

Marriage. Arranged, to Kakashi Hatake. By Kakashi Hatake. _The_ Kakashi Hatake. Before the war, people of Konoha said the name with venerance and pride. Now that the war was over they only scoffed in disdain.

She would have never thought things to turn out like that for him. Betraying his comrades and village, Naruto and Sakura, his teammates and friends. How could anyone see it coming: Kakashi Hatake, Konoha's finest who had long ago became a hero, only to lead his village to doom? Back then, no one expected. That's why everyone seemed to hate him so much. Danzou? He was always the bad guy, lurking around, causing trouble. He knew that people didn't like him, and he didn't care. Kakashi on the other hand. She imagined to him it was like a bucket of cold water.

It certainly was for Hinata. She realized that as she looked at Kakashi in front of her, all dressed up for their so-called "wedding ceremony".

It happened so fast. How have the two most unlikely people ended up at the altar? As the ceremony progressed and they exchanged their vows, she was asking that question to herself. And everytime her thoughts went to the events immediately after the war. The focal point of her and everyone else's lives in Konoha.

Their costly victory over the Akatsuki, then Madara, and then Kaguya. They'd come to Konoha, battered and exhausted, only to learn that the Village Hidden in the Leaves had a new leader. One that had no appreciation for the very people who saved this world. Danzou Shimura had become their Sixth Hokage, and the first thing he did was order to arrest Naruto and Sasuke.

She remembered how their friends were trying to protect the blond hero, even on the verge of chakra exhaustion they were willing to fight. And they would've, if not for Kakashi, Hinata reminded herself. He convinced them to give in for now, reasoning that they had no chance of winning against Danzou and his Root. _"He is a legitimate Hokage of Konoha," _he said. Their trusted general's reassurances have completely quenched any resistance in their ranks. And so, they watched as he personally escorted Naruto to prison.

Hinata remembered her shock at the happenings of that day, followed by disgust and shame. They stood there, like a bunch of sheep, following orders of the man who was Hokage in name only. She hated Danzou more than ever then. But surprisingly, she found herself not being able to hold those events against Kakashi himself. He was only doing his best in a given situation. All the more painful it was for her to learn that their sham of a marriage had come to be from his suggestion. Like many other questionable things nowadays, it seemed.

Kakashi was Konoha's Jounin Commander now, a prestigious position once held by Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara. After the war and Shikaku's death, Danzou appointed the office to Kakashi, as a reward for his loyalty. The political system of Konoha was far from just, if it allowed the Hokage to surround himself with his allies so easily.

A year later, nearly everyone in Konoha saw Kakashi Hatake as a coward and a shadow of his former self. His loss of Sharingan, coupled with his loyalty to Danzou and ruthlessness had cost him all the respect he'd managed to attain during all the years prior. People spat at his name, drew derogatory graffiti, cursed him left and right. The atmosphere of hatred around the man was so toxic, she wondered how he was able cope with all of it. It wasn't enough for her to change her mind, though. Hinata still firmly believed that what he did was in Konoha's best interests. Yes, he might have done some pretty awful things on Hokage's orders and his attitude might have changed as a result of Danzou's influence, but she still believed that the old Kakashi who everyone revered and trusted is still there.

That didn't negate the fact that everything went downhill since the day Kakashi supported Danzou, though. After a year of Danzou's rule everyone, or at least, everyone with brains and a fraction of humanity understood the direness of situation Konoha was in. Their economy was declining, the Great War depleting resources, including human lives. With less capable people to rebuild and more debts on its name, Konoha was struggling to come by. Danzou's attitude hadn't helped either. Allies were turning their backs on them left and right, while the number of their potential enemies had only been increasing. Nobody wanted to deal with a warmonger. Not when wounds from the deadliest war the Elemental Nations had seen in the past hundred years were still fresh.

Hope, however, always remained for Hinata. For her family was still there, her friends were still alive, and so Konoha's Will of Fire shall remain. Resistance against Danzo's regime was still in its infancy, but Hinata did not lose hope. People talked, and people realized that if they didn't act – nobody will.

'_Certainly not him,_' a voice echoed in her head as she looked at her husband. The lack of bitterness in it surprised Hinata; if anything, she should be hating the man for ruining all of their lives.

It was that damned hope, she supposed, that allowed her to agree to the marriage and keep the feelings of resentment at bay. It was hope that kept her emotions in check during that dreadful conversation with her father and her suitor. When discussing the terms and preparations for her wedding she tried not to think about her sister, Hanabi; about Naruto, her, now waning, crush, or about what would become of her life for the foreseeable future. It was all too painful to think about, then. And even now, at her wedding day, she tried not to dwell on it. Instead, she focused on that illusory hope which is both her mission and motivation. A desire to be useful in the fight against Danzou.

In her pondering Hinata almost missed a flicker of emotion in her husband's stony visage. He'd become even more reserved recently, so much so that the only student of his to be allowed freedom in Konoha complained of not recognizing him anymore. Hinata's eyes turned to Sakura, who'd been standing at the front row amongst the tiny group of guests from her husband's side, and she caught a small encouraging smile from the pink-haired woman. Sakura's belief in her sensei was what grounded Hinata's own. Even when complaining about him, Kakashi's former student never did it with an accusatory tone; it was always worry that dominated her emotions whenever her teacher was regarded.

Hinata would've kept watching the crowd, but she didn't want to see her friends' no doubt angry or disappointed faces. She trailed back to her husband instead, surprised to see that he hadn't removed his eyes from her this whole time.

He too, it seemed, tried to give a smile, but Hinata abruptly dropped her gaze, missing the gesture, only hearing the man's soft exhale afterwards.

Standing beside Kakashi, her now husband, she decided to focus on her goal instead of wallowing in self-pity. What was the point anyway, after she herself agreed to the arrangement? There is no one to blame apart from herself and her husband.

'_I can do it_,' Hinata steeled herself, before lifting her eyes back to look her so called husband in the eyes, '_for Konoha, for everyone_.'

The wedding ceremony was a cold, dull affair from the beginning till the very end. Everyone who attended knew what it really was about. Her friends, who wouldn't have even been there had she not specifically requested it from Kakashi and her father, sat there as if it was someone's funeral. They were glaring murderously at Kakashi.

The man himself stood disinterestedly, either not noticing or not caring about all the hatred directed at him. Despite almost exclusively looking at Hinata, he could feel the scowls on her friends' faces all this time. It would have been amusing, had it not been so sad. What kind of man could ruin another's life like he had Hinata's?

'_I am a traitor, after all,_' Kakashi reasoned, dejectedly, before noticing his wife-to-be looking at him with such strong determination. It reminded him of the emotion he so often saw on ANBU agents sent on a suicide mission. Again, Kakashi did not blame the woman at all. He was surprised to see no hatred in those cloudy orbs. Well, he was no prodigy in human relations, so his assessment was likely to be inadequate anyhow.

Luckily, however, he was a prodigy at everything else.

Being a genius never gave Kakashi much happiness, though. He could throw a kunai and hit its mark long before other kids his age were even considered for ninja academy by their parents; could perform a jutsu perfectly on his first try; adapt to any situation. He noticed the tiniest details and still managed to never miss the bigger picture. He effortlessly learned things that others spent days on trying to understand.

You'd think his life would be a breeze with the hand he'd been given at birth. Turns out it only made it barely bearable. With great power comes great responsibility, and now Kakashi understood more than ever the meaning of the saying. Still, a mission is something during which he could always rely on that genius mind of his. Despite spying every hateful look and hearing every disappointed comment towards him, Kakashi knew that his perceptive mind will serve him right when the time comes.

'_Until then, have to bear_,' he convinced himself, his thoughts returning to the woman in front of him, '_so beautiful, such a waste._'

Once again, the whole thing felt unfair. Especially towards such a kind and gentle person as Hinata Hyuga. Kakashi studied her face, trying to keep his mind from his bitter thoughts, focusing on her delicate features instead. He would've continued ogling had she not met his eyes. Momentarily lost in those big pools of lavender, Kakashi was surely reminded of why exactly he was bitter about their circumstance.

The innocence he saw in those surprisingly expressive orbs bedazzled him. It was the kind expressed by special brand of people like Naruto, who really loved the world for what it was and saw the best in others. The kind you see in people who find it in themselves to be genuinely happy regardless of every bad thing that happened. And despite him always being envious of them for having such an ability, it was not the reason why Kakashi's mood was so sour. Hinata simply did not deserve any of this, and that was what caused the bitterness to resurface.

Once again he asked, how could he ruin her like that?

Said woman, on the other hand, didn't back down when Kakashi continued staring, locking eyes with the man. Copy Ninja's eyes lacked the cold, calculating edge that Hinata so often saw in her father's partners. Instead they were blank, completely devoid of any emotion, the fact that scared Hinata far more. Daringly, she lifted a delicate eyebrow in a silent question. Kakashi responded by merely shrugging his shoulders, being the first to turn away.

His actions seemed weird to her even then. She couldn't pinpoint anything concrete, but the way her husband carried himself did not look like someone who could willingly support Danzou. She decided to file that thought for later, seeing as their wedding was reaching its conclusion.

After all the ceremonial formalities had been dealt with, Hinata said her goodbyes to her friends and family. To Kakashi it felt like Hinata was parting with them forever. He couldn't help but snort at the thought, immediately regretting the action as his wife turned an accusing glare at him. Feeling that he'd done enough, Kakashi went ahead, leaving the company to finish with their goodbyes.

It was a quiet evening when he escaped the stifling atmosphere of his own wedding. Letting out a tired sigh, Kakashi was surprised to hear his wife's footsteps follow him. Hinata stopped right beside him, giving no explanation. Evidently, it was expected of them to go together, and his abrupt departure only meant that she had to follow as well. Once again, Copy Nin screwed things up trying to make things better.

'_Way to go, genius,_' he told himself, taking the first step towards their new home, wishing this day to end as quickly as possible.

As if fate wanted to punish him even more, the evening was a perfect picture of what a typical newlywed couple would enjoy spending some quality time together. Kakashi strode ahead, unable to turn a look towards his wife until he gathered his wits about him.

Hinata, in turn, had been dreading this moment, all emotions she pent up now returning with full force. She was on edge, her awareness suddenly increasing to the point it was overwhelming. What was going to happen now that she was married? She futilely tried to steady her emotions when her now husband's voice pierced through the calm of the night, interrupting her gradually increasing panic.

"I am sorry", he said, so quietly she thought she might have imagined it. Only after turning to him and seeing his apologetic and somewhat expectant expression she realized that indeed, Kakashi had said he was sorry.

"It's alright", she quietly replied, not really meaning it and not knowing what else to say and not trusting her emotions to keep her words in check when speaking her mind.

Anything could hide behind the man's calm and emotionless visage. She could anger him if she said something he might not like, and she couldn't have him angry or dissatisfied in any way. Her mission's success depended on her husband's trust in her. Hinata knew her answer was obviously not true, but she hoped Kakashi would drop the subject. To her relief, he did not inquire any further.

Kakashi knew something was wrong with his wife. He had a fair idea of what might be bothering her. He did not to press the matter and instead opted to do what he thought would put her at ease. After all, what could her immediate concern be at a time like this, if not them having to spend the night together as a married couple. Hoping he read the situation correctly, when they finally entered the house, he decided to cut to the chase and set clear boundaries to make her understand she had no reason to fear _that particular problem_.

"Dear wife," he started after the door clicked behind them, making her jump a little, "we both know this marriage is purely of convenience, so I would not expect it to be consummated."

An awkward pause ensued.

Thinking that his words sounded rather stiff, Kakashi tried to amend by wishing his wife good night, after which he immediately went to his study. Spending the night working on village matters and shoveling through the mess that was Danzou's regime seemed a far more appealing prospect than having to face his wife for another second. Besides, it gave him plenty of time to ruminate on their new arrangement.

Later that night, lying in their shared bed alone, Hinata contemplated on what had happened. Despite being irrationally fearful of going to sleep, the day's exhaustion was catching up to her, and she found herself slowly but surely dozing off to slumber.

When she woke up in the morning, Hinata noted that her husband's spot on the bed was empty. The only signs that indicated he was in this room at all were crumpling of the sheets and a note on his pillow.

_Dear wife, good morning. I had urgent matters to attend to. Did not want to wake you up. I apologize for not being able to stay for breakfast. This house is yours as much as it is mine, so feel free to use and do anything you like. Of course, you are free to leave the house any time for any business you might have in Konoha. I wish you a pleasant day_.

That last sentence started with a fat spot of ink at the beginning of 'I', as if he struggled deciding on whether to write something or not, which did not escape Hinata's attention. Moving on, she saw the part about being free to leave the house at any time.

'_As if Danzou did not install a curfew,_' she thought bitterly. '_And why all the formality?_' Honestly, the way he talked to her was nothing like his usual aloof speech. Did he really want to make it clear that they were married just on paper, and there were no feelings? Or was he just a traditional person, like Father? '_Anyway, _she decided, _I need to start looking._'

There had to be something useful in this house. Trivial curiosity aside, she desperately wanted to find something that might help their cause against fighting Danzou. So, after her morning routine, Hinata dressed up and immediately set to the task of digging up any information that might be useful for resistance. Kakashi was the Jounin Commander, afterall.

Breakfast forgotten, she went to the only room that could possibly have any valuable information regarding Konoha's state of affairs – Kakashi's private study. The room was not protected in any way, indicating that whatever she found there would be of little significance to Danzou. However, there must be a reason he did not want her to enter this room, she thought.

She had a good look at the contents of the room. It was a relatively small study. The wall on one side of the room was completely covered in shelves filled with various books, a comfy looking armchair near it. Nothing looked unkempt, so she reasoned he must've been using the library often. His desk, on which Hinata presumed he worked, was empty except for one Icha Icha book, a potted plant, and two framed photos. Taking a closer look on the pictures, she saw that one was the photo of Team 7 when they had just formed their team. All new Konoha genin teams traditionally took a photo, to commemorate the moment when their lives became connected through that special bond of comradeship. Immediately, nostalgic memories visited her head, reminding her of happier times.

Hinata didn't have much time to reminisce about their carefree past, as her gaze fell on the next photo. Her intrigue peaked at what she saw on the worn picture. There was younger Kakashi, those droopy looking eyes and silver hair, no doubt it was him. Next to him were two other kids. Their teacher, the Fourth Hokage himself, stood behind the three.

'_So, this is his genin team,_' she concluded, taking a closer look. One boy, definitely Uchiha, judging from his clothes and raven hair; one girl with purple markings on her cheeks, was smiling warmly. In contrast to the cheerful and probably even amused expression on the girl's face, both her male teammates had a rather similar vibe of irritation oozing off of them. The Fourth, though, had only a slightly exasperated look mixed with a smile that despite being there to mask his exasperation, still seemed genuine.

Hinata did not know what to make of this. Icha Icha on workplace she understood, it was Kakashi after all. But a plant? Somehow Danzou did not strike her as someone who would have any form of decoration on his desk. Yet, Kakashi had a cute little plant. It even said 'Mr. Ukki' on the pot. Moreover, he had his teams' framed photos. But why would he keep something like that if he knows that he betrayed his team? It would just remind him of his betrayal.

She sighed, '_it makes no sense._'

She reminded herself that even if Kakashi did betray them, she never actually saw him doing anything evil or acting like a ruthless bastard everyone described him as. In the end, Hinata concluded that Kakashi was not beyond redemption if he still held onto something of sentimental value like those pictures.

'_He was a hero, people like him don't change overnight. There has to be a reason. Maybe he was threatened? Maybe he did not think it would result in all this?_' she reasoned, thinking of all the injustice brought by Danzou's regime.

After brainstorming all kinds of reasons, she could not come up with a single valid one to justify what happened. Hinata refused to let that discourage her.

'_I was there when it all happened, when Naruto got carried away by ANBU, when he told us not to oppose and that everything is going to be alright. Kakashi was there too. He was the one who convinced Naruto, and everyone else, for that matter, not to fight. It doesn't matter if I don't understand, there is still a possibility that he had his reasons_'_, _she finalized, before leaving the study and closing the door after herself. She had entered the study with the intention of spying and left with a feeling of renewed purpose.

She was a ninja and she was a Hyuga. If anything, arranged marriages were their area of expertise. She could sulk about it and let it destroy her life, or she could deal with it like she dealt with any mission: with honor and earnest intention. Right then and there Hinata made a decision. If there was still good left in Kakashi, it was worth to try and bring it out of him again.

It was worth to try to understand.

**So here we go, folks, first chapter. Thank you for reading. Please leave reviews, any criticism would be appreciated.**

**I want to state straight away that this story will be finished. Yes, you got that right, we WILL see this through till its end, no matter what. I will try to post every weekend starting from the Second Chapter (Friday to Sunday).**

**Once again, thanks for reading and/or leaving a review. This is my first attempt at writing anything big, and your feedback will help me improve.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The distance from Kakashi's house to the center was quite tangible, but Hinata still walked at a slow, civilian-like pace. The Hyuga enjoyed long walks, savoring the sight, smell and sound of all that was her home village. Sadly, every time she went outside, Konoha seemed different, less happy.

There were no celebrations of their victory in the war. Too many have died and too much was lost for the living to squeeze out even an ounce of happiness – only relief. And even that didn't last long as Danzou usurped the power in their broken village.

Refusing to dwell on such negativity so early in the day, Hinata diverted her attention to a more cheerful subject. Kurenai was supposed to move in her new apartment and judging by what Hinata saw of the restored buildings around, her teacher had gotten lucky. The houses sure looked new in that part of Konoha, Hinata noted, walking the familiar road to her teacher's house. Other than that, they were identical to the old ones. Down to the color of their walls.

After Pain's attack, most of the center of the village was destroyed, including the house Kurenai-sensei's apartment was in. Many people who lost their homes applied for new ones, that were normally issued by Konoha after disastrous situations like war or Kyuubi attack. However, with the extent of destruction so huge, and the post-war crisis, many villagers had to queue for their accommodation. The fact that Kurenai was able to secure herself a place in exactly the same location as she lived before was practically unheard of.

Hinata was approaching the building block where Kurenai used to live when she heard her teacher's angry voice.

"You can't do this!"

Immediately sensing that something was wrong, Hinata turned the corner and was met with a sight of a very distressed Kurenai, her daughter, Mirai was safely sleeping in her arms. Talking to the angry mother was none other than Kakashi. Standing around them were at least a dozen Root operatives. Her teacher and husband were in the middle of an argument when they noticed her. For a second, Kakashi looked startled by Hinata's arrival, before picking up on his words.

"Kurenai-san, I am sorry, but I am afraid you are not allowed to take residence in this area."

"What do you mean, not allowed?!" Kurenai looked livid. "My application was approved, this was my house before the attack! Why am I being denied when I clearly have all the papers and am a shinobi? Not that I think it should matter."

'_Shinobi? Why would it matter?_' Hinata did not understand how was sensei being shinobi relevant to her application?

Kakashi's reply was more indifferent than Hinata would like for a friend's to be, "That is the thing, Kurenai-san. You are not a shinobi. According to our data, you have retired two years ago and are not currently in Konoha ninja active roster."

It was as if Kurenai-sensei was just another tick on his paper, not a friend, not even a human being. The dry and curt way authorities dismissed Konoha citizens was getting worse with each passing day.

"It didn't say anything about active roster, Hatake, and you know it," hissed Kurenai. "I have shinobi relations – my husband was a ninja. I am a ninja! The criteria for priority issuing were to have either a shinobi relation, live in the same area, and being a current or former shinobi. I meet all the criteria, and thus am eligible for my rightful apartment."

"Yes, but it turned out that there is another person who meets the criteria, and he is currently a ninja."

"So, what," Kurenai seethed poking at Kakashi's chest, "is he _more eligible _than me?"

"Exactly," was his short reply.

The air seemed more and more tense with each second. Kurenai-sensei looked like she would jump Kakashi if she wasn't holding Mirai. Kakashi seemed indifferent, but the ninja around him were clearly anticipating resistance. Before situation could escalate any further, Hinata decided to interject.

"Ka- dear husband, would you please explain what the matter is?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing to explain. Mrs. Sarutobi refuses to vacate the apartment that does not belong to her."

His response was as callous and terse as it could get. Hinata did not understand. Her husband seemed a completely different man standing there, cold and unsympathetic. It seemed it did not matter to the man whether it was his wife or his friend, he was being a complete jerk. Not bothering to hide her disappointment, she addressed her teacher instead, hoping to calm the woman down.

"Sensei, please calm down. What happened here?" It somewhat worked, as Kurenai exhaled deeply and turned to her student.

"I came here with Mirai and Shikamaru-kun. He went for groceries while I was supposed to put Mirai to bed and settle in," she said, pointing towards the child who was sleeping in her arms, and then to the pile of bags and trunks, presumably containing her belongings. "But these guys came out of nowhere and are saying that I cannot live here," now she gestured around, to Kakashi and his retinue.

Hinata was baffled. And clearly, she wasn't the only one. Everyone turned towards Shikamaru, who just arrived, grocery bags in both hands. He seemed to be assessing the situation, just standing there silently and watching their expressions. Finally, he sighed and muttered something which Hinata was sure contained "troublesome" in it, and addressed both women.

"Kurenai-sensei, Hinata-san, I think we should go."

"But–"

Another sigh.

"I know. It is unfair. And stupid," his eyes flickered to the masked jounin, "but is there anything we can do? Look at these people, Kurenai-sensei," he gestured towards their so-called officials. "They came here fully expecting that things go south. I bet their hands are twitching for an excuse to attack and arrest all of us. We can't possibly make them change their mind, and we can't oppose their decision either. So, it seems we are left with only one option."

"Accept this humiliation, turn around and go back as if nothing happened?" Kurenai asked, clearly unhappy.

"I agree with Shikamaru-kun, sensei. There is nothing we can do." Hinata said, directing a particularly nasty look at her husband. A flash of guilt seemed to pass in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, his face returning to its normal indifferent expression. Hinata humphed.

"I suppose you are right," Kurenai gave in. "Let's go home, Shikamaru, Hinata."

"At least we don't need to bring all of your heavy stuff from the compound," Shikamaru muttered, just quiet enough for the woman to miss it. He so didn't want to piss Kurenai even more.

The trio turned around and went back to the Nara clan compound, leaving silent Kakashi and his Root behind. Only when they left did the jounin allow a tinge of relief on his stoic expression. He felt like an utter scumbag for treating Kurenai so, but she would've continued arguing if he wasn't being rude and cut her off. She absolutely must not live in this area if his plan was to succeed.

Back at Shikamaru's home, Hinata fumed. "I still cannot believe they would do something like that. How could Kakashi allow that to happen? Sensei, he is your friend, isn't he?"

"I don't know what's on his mind," Kurenai replied, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Kurenai was Kakashi's friend and would like to think that she knew him better than most. Now that her anger subsided, she replayed their conversation in her head. It looked like he was trying to convey something earlier. Almost like he was doing her a favor by not letting her live there. "Let's talk about something else, okay?"

"Like, how you are doing, for instance?" Shikamaru joined in, addressing Hinata.

A couple of hours ago she would've told them that she was perfectly fine, but now… Hinata didn't know what to make of what happened. Kurenai was adamant that she did not hold what happened against Kakashi. It wasn't like him to do something like that, she said. Thus, Hinata decided not to bring todays situation back to the conversation.

"I am alright. Nothing really happened since that day. I'm more confused and disappointed, really. At first, he seemed decent. Kind, even," she said, referring to Kakashi. "But after what happened…" she trailed off, looking pointedly at Kurenai-sensei. "I don't understand."

"Care to elaborate?" Kurenai asked, her own problems set aside in favor of her student's.

Hinata did her best to explain everything in an unbiased way. Kurenai and Shikamaru – to listen and understand. Even though her teacher had already made some conclusions of her own, and her former classmate had 'troublesome' written all over his face. Hinata did not blame them. She knew Kurenai and Shikamaru meant well, and Shikamaru was uncomfortable with the whole situation and was trying to deal with it in only way he knows, which is to wait for someone more capable to take initiative. Besides, this was his problem-solving face. If anything, then he was thinking hard on how to help. Hinata suspected he was formulating all kinds of schemes behind that impassive gaze. What people like him failed to understand was that sometimes just listening was all that's needed.

"If he does anything, I will kill him," Kurenai said with conviction.

'_She probably would,_' Hinata thought about her teacher with a smile.

"You shouldn't say such things, Kurenai-sensei. You know it's a terrible idea and you have your family to worry about."

"You are family, Hinata. You, Kiba and Shino are like children to me." The older woman smiled that warm, motherly smile Hinata would always associate with her. "I've known you since you were little, even before I got to know the boys." She remembered how Hiashi dumped a timid little girl on her lap, for her to raise. "Don't ever think that I'll place my own problems before my little kids."

Her sensei's words spread warmth in Hinata's chest.

"I know," she said, touched. "I just don't want you guys to worry about me so much and get in trouble. He hasn't done anything to me, and… I think he is not as bad as he seems."

"If you say so," Kurenai-sensei's agreement did not sound very convincing, the way a skeptical parent sounded about their child's significant other. Nevertheless, Hinata was happy they tried to understand. "Why don't you go home, sweety?" her teacher suggested. "I don't think you are up for another round of explanations when others come." She meant the others that were coming that night, including her teammates. Even though she was tired, Hinata wanted to meet her friends. And if the price was having to explain everything again, then so be it.

"I'm fine, sensei, thank you. I wanted to see them, actually."

"You sure? You don't have to say anything. Shikamaru-kun can explain them everything later"–a pointed look at Shikamaru–"right, Shikamaru-kun?"

A resigned sigh was their answer, causing both women to giggle.

"It's fine, sensei. I think I should be the one talking. They won't settle for Shikamaru's explanation anyways."

"True," Kurenai smiled. "He would probably say only three sentences."

"And each of them would have 'torublesome' in it," added Hinata, amused.

"Clearly, you guys don't know me," grunted Shikamaru. He too, smiled, "I wouldn't tell them more than two sentences."

This made everyone in the room laugh. Hinata thought herself lucky to have such great friends, who will do their best to reassure her and make her smile and laugh despite everything. Her vow to do anything in her power to protect them had only strengthened over the years.

It wouldn't do to worry her friends, when they themselves had problems of their own. Besides, it didn't look like anything bad was going to happen to her. For some reason, Kakashi was lenient towards his wife, and Hinata planned to take advantage of her husband's indulgence. She wouldn't do anything crazy. However, she could perhaps influence at least some of his less important decisions, starting with getting a compensation for Kurenai-sensei. Shikamaru and she managed to convince the woman to live in Nara compound for the time being. Hinata figured that the only thing she could do aside from helping her find a new house, was to get her teacher some monetary reimbursement for her troubles. Surely, Kakashi will agree to this. It seemed fair. Not that what happened today was in any way fair. But maybe she could guilt-trip him to do something. Hinata hadn't lost her faith in Kakashi yet. Surrounded by his subordinates, he might have been more pressured to act the way he acted. It is possible that he would agree with her once the conversation becomes private, with no ANBU or Root there to watch his every step.

A loud shout interrupted her reflections. A very familiar voice was calling for Shikamaru from outside the compound gates.

"Oi, Shikamaru, it's us!" Kiba was as noisy as ever. The Nara seat was not an enormous complex, like Hyuga's, and people on the veranda could hear when someone outside the gates was yelling. Shikamaru stood lazily and went to let their friends inside.

"Coming."

"Open up already, man! I swear if his lazy ass–" Kiba's rant was stopped short by Shikamaru, who opened the gate with the most deadpan expression as of today.

"I said I was coming, idiot," Nara clan head replied, by way of greeting. Then he properly greeted the crowd of friends gathered there, "Hey everyone."

After short greetings and some friendly banter between Shikamaru and Kiba, everyone was sitting on the tatami of the spacious guestroom. Kurenai chatted for a little while with her male students, letting everyone else coo over her baby girl. Soon the woman would have to put her to bed.

All of the remaining Konoha 11 plus Sai were engaged in amiable conversation with each other. Such massive reunions always made the flow of conversation chaotic, because everyone wanted to participate in everyone's talk. This usually lasted for about an hour or so, until people caught up with everyone and started to separate into small groups and chat about things of their own. This time, however, Hinata did not have an hour. Not even twenty minutes passed, and Kiba already directed everyone's attention to her.

"Hinata-chan, tell us, how are you doing?" he asked with an uncharacteristically somber expression after clearing his throat. As if everyone was waiting for the signal, all conversation ceased, everyone's eyes and ears on Hinata.

She let out an inaudible sigh. Of course, it would be Kiba who started this. After Naruto, he was the only one capable of so easily and openly addressing uncomfortable subjects. She expected people to ask her in private, one by one, or in small groups. But Kiba had directed the conversation to her in such a manner, that she would have to explain everything to everyone at once.

'_All the better_,' Hinata thought.

After retelling the story she's told to Shikamaru and Kurenai once and rehearsed in her head at least a dozen other times, she waited for her friends' reaction. It did not take long in coming – she could barely recover her breath from her monologue, when a flurry of exclamations, curses and protests erupted from all around her. Kiba and even Shino were barraging her with questions, not waiting before she answered and proceeding to ask another half the time. It was as if a dam had burst. The only people who were quiet in all of this were Shikamaru, Sai and Sakura. Hinata knew what she had to do, even if she did not like it. She never liked shutting people up, but in some cases, such as the current one, it must be done if she wanted to be listened to.

"Everyone, please!" she firmly said, donning the best impression of her father and only slightly raising her voice. Immediately everyone stopped talking, not even a single sound escaping the room. "First of all, Kurenai-sensei and Mirai-chan are sleeping. We should be considerate of other inhabitants of this house as well." The fact that Kurenai went through as much trouble as Hinata today went without saying. "And second"–Hinata closed her eyes and exhaled softly, before opening them and giving her friends a warm smile–"I am fine, guys. Really."

That seemed to help in calming the tempers down a bit. Her friends knew her well enough to get that she was not lying. So far, they thought, Hinata was alright. And so, they decided to let her off the hook, and instead focused on another best thing – Kakashi himself.

"We get that he hasn't done anything yet," said Ino, "but who's to say he won't do anything later?"

Her blonde friend had taken the words out of everyone's mouth, judging from their concurrent nodding. Only Sakura, who so far had not said a thing over the subject, came to her teacher's defense.

"Kakashi-sensei is not that kind of a person, Pig."

"Yeah? Was he a kind of person to surrender the village to Danzou without a fight?"

"That's totally different," Sakura replied, vexed. "I know him since forever, and he never broke a single promise. He promised he will figure things out, so we should trust him."

Being a Hyuga, Hinata was good at reading people. Something in Sakura's eyes told her that the pinkette knew more than she was letting on. It both worried her and gave her relief. She watched others' faces for a similar conclusion but was surprised to find that nobody seemed to pay any mind to it.

"Sakura, we trusted him then, and look where it got us!" Ino challenged, gesturing around as if all the injustice Konoha citizens were subjected to could be seen in the immediate area of the guest room. "He was a general of our forces. De facto, he commanded shinobi of Konoha–"

"And de jure, Danzou commanded all of Konoha! You seem to forget that Danzou also holds lead over Root, and none of us were in any condition to fight!"

"Hag, I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Ino here," interjected Sai. "Kakashi-senpai had Konoha's best interests in mind, but I believe he made a mistake in conceding to Danzou."

Sakura's eyes flashed with anger at Sai's words. It wasn't the same frustration she expressed at Ino's remarks, no. It was a little more violent, as if she had a reason to be angry at Sai but not Ino. This observation raised even more flags in Hinata's mind. Unfortunately, she couldn't properly process that information as the argument continued.

"Yeah," added Rock Lee, ever the optimist, "even with our strength diminished, we could've beaten them. Surely, the fighting spirit of the whole Konoha army could overcome Danzou's unyouthful forces."

"And now, when Danzou has deeply rooted himself in Hokage's position, we can no longer openly oppose him," Shino said. "Why? Because not all current shinobi are willing to fight the system. Why would you ask? Because a lot of ninjas, especially the older generations, sympathize with his ruthless ways. Not to mention that his Root is stronger than ever. The revolutionary moment, when everyone was armed and ready to fight, is missed," the Aburame concluded, propping the glasses on his nose.

"You guys don't know," Sakura still resisted. "Kakashi-sensei knows what he is doing. He has to…" she trailed off, a shade of doubt evident.

Hinata decided to boost Sakura's faith. She too, believed in Kakashi, afterall.

"As I said before, he is capable of kindness. It's hard to explain, but he doesn't seem like a dishonest person at all to me. I believe he really might know better than we what is best."

"Thanks," Sakura replied, smiling. Hinata smiled too.

"I really do believe there is good in him. I may not know him as well as you do, Sakura-san, but you don't spend your life in Hyuga household without learning how to pick up on people's expressions and mood. His intentions never seemed insincere, not once. He is hard to read, I admit. Very. Even so, his behavior wasn't dubious in any way. I may not understand his motives, but I do see his actions. He works hard every day for the village," Hinata spoke with conviction. "We shouldn't dismiss the possibility that Kakashi… sensei"–she stumbled not sure how she should address the man now that he was her husband–"has some kind of plan in mind."

"And what would that plan of his be?" asked Tenten, not at all convinced. "If you guys haven't noticed," she addressed Sakura and Hinata, "Konoha is in deep shit. Our foreign relations are barely tolerable, shinobi-civilian gap is wider than ever, economy is collapsing under all the corruption and military expenses, and to top it all, our citizen freedom is being more and more restricted by the day!"

"Let's not dramatize much?" Sakura bristled, temper easy to flare. "Where did you come up with all the fancy social terminology, anyway?"

"For your interest, Sa-ku-ra," Tenten was equally quick to get angry, "not all of us civilian-born ninja abandon their civilian relations after becoming genin. My father is an accountant for the government, he knows how things are done in Konoha. He says we don't have much time left until our reserves run out, and our relationship with other Great Villages is getting colder. All his advice is ignored by the higher ups, who are so sunk in corruption, it's like they are living in another world, all the riches they got from robbing Konoha clouding their minds. Of course," she added, throwing the pinkette a harsh glance, "your precious Kakashi-sensei is far more sagacious than a mere civilian, so everything is fine and dandy! It's all just a genius plan: destroy Konoha to save it, how didn't anyone think of that?" she finished, sarcasm thick and bitter in her voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" by now Sakura was fuming, those remarks about her abandoning her civilian relatives hitting home hard.

She never intended to abandon her family. It's just that her life had become a lot more hectic, with hospital funds dwindling, Tsunade-shishou leaving the village _again_, and her parents becoming busy as well. The ridiculous curfew implemented by Danzou was not helping either, as sometimes the emergencies kept her past the curfew start at 10 pm, so she could not go to her parents who lived at the opposite end of the village to the hospital. Still, she made a point to head straight to her parents' after work and spend the night there sometimes when her work finished as usual, but she and her parents were so tired that after a dinner and some talking, they usually retired to sleep. So, Sakura did not need someone rubbing that in her face. She knew perfectly well that she did not spend enough quality time with her family. If Tenten wanted to discuss the damn curfew then she was welcome to do it without dragging her personal life into it.

Once again, before the argument became too heated, Hinata intervened.

"Sakura-san, Tenten-san, please take it easy. We are not saying that Kakashi-sensei always knows better than others", she said turning to Tenten, "but we can agree that his shift in personality was too abrupt to be natural. It is possible, however small that possibility is, that he is still on our side, is it not?"

The looks in everyone's eyes told the Hyuga woman more than any word. No doubt each of her friends remembered one thing or another that made them respect and admire the man that was Kakashi Hatake.

"I don't know about abrupt, Hinata-chan," grunted Kiba, breaking the spell of guilt that hung over the room. "My mom knew him when he was a kid. She says he was very stuck up, like your father. Even after he grew up, he never seemed to be a particularly friendly person either."

"As tactless as Kiba-kun's statement is, it is true," added Sai. "Kakashi-senpai is well known in ANBU. He was infamous even among Root. Older ANBU spoke of him as a cold and ruthless person. Although, I must add, he did mellow down in his later years. Regardless, you don't serve in ANBU as much as he did, and at such a young age, without it affecting your mental health."

"Yeah, just look at Sai – he's been there for like, 5 years or something, and he is so weird! Kakashi was there for who knows how long? No wonder he is deranged," said Kiba, shrugging his shoulders. Akamaru barked, fully agreeing with his partner.

"Once again, Kiba-kun's tactless statement regarding my time in special ops is correct. Although it is worth noting that I was in Root and I was there as a child, which means I mostly trained and did not participate in intensive action." Sai was saying it like he was discussing the weather, and not his career in one of the bloodiest paramilitary organizations. "Kakashi-senpai was mostly in ANBU, and he fought in a war from a very young age. This allowed him to go straight to action when he joined the ANBU, so his 'active' period was even longer than mine. If anyone wants to know, he spent more than ten years in ANBU." He was quick to get the facts straight.

As off putting as what they heard from Sai was, Hinata's frown was caused by her other friend's words.

"Kakashi-sensei is not deranged," she protested. "He may be slightly eccentric, and act a bit weird sometimes… But he is not crazy!"

"Says who?" asked Tenten. "For all we know, he may have a split personality or something."

"I don't think he has split personality, Tenten," Ino objected. "My father checked him numerous times for signs of mental deterioration. Aside from minor depression in the past and some nightmares, he is perfectly healthy. He is definitely sane."

"That's confidential information, Pig," berated Sakura, plenty horrified at Yamanaka's lack of professionalism.

"Oh, shut up, Forehead. Father only showed it to me as part of my training, and I normally don't disclose such things."

"So, you only disclose Kakashi-sensei's assessment results, is that it?" the pink haired medic pressed accusingly.

"He saved my life during Pain's attack," Choji spoke up suddenly, cutting off Ino's retort. "He died saving me so that precious information could be relayed to Tsunade-sama."

After that a heavy pause hung over the conversation. Everyone recalled the horrible events of Akatsuki attack. Despite many being brought back to life they still lost a lot of people in the following war.

"See," said Sakura, lifting the silence. "Give him some benefit of the doubt."

"Oh, I give him my doubts alright!" said Kiba.

"Idiot," sighed Shikamaru. "It means that–"

"I know what it means!"

"We believe you. Why? Because only you could be stupid enough to say something so ridiculous while knowing the meaning of the phrase."

"Shut up, Shino! It was a joke, if you didn't get it, you are who is stupid here. Tell him, Shikamaru!"

"What a drag…"

And just like that, their reunion turned into a massive, albeit friendly argument. Hinata couldn't help but giggle at her friends' ability to turn sour topics around. So far, she was happy with how things went. Her friends, although not all of them, have agreed to give her a chance to redeem Kakashi. Hopefully, they will be more open to his kindness from now on. She was grateful for Sakura's support. Her faith in her sensei was admirable. It was clear that the pinkette knew something important, but if she didn't tell anyone then she must've had her reasons. Sakura caught Hinata's gaze and smiled knowingly, before gesturing towards the scene unfolding before them, as if inviting to sit back and enjoy the show.

It was 9 pm when people called the end to their meeting. The curfew started after an hour after all. Gatherings of more than two people were not allowed after nine o'clock, and nobody was allowed outside after 10 pm period. Except medical emergencies. Ninja returning from a mission had a pass too. And black ops, those guys were allowed a lot more than before…

This was how Danzou took control of Konoha. Hinata wasn't as shrewd as her father, but it didn't mean that she or Hanabi hadn't picken up a thing or two. What Danzou did was nothing but a forceful seizure of power. Getting behind the Jounin Council and the Fifth Hokage, he gained daimyō's approval, which was practically just a formality. As soon as he was instated as Hokage, he gave the military more power, getting their support while at the same time suppressing everyone else. His Root is now an elite secret policing force, fighting internal 'threats', while ANBU were mostly dispersed across the elemental nations to carry out meaningless tasks. Danzou put people he trusted on positions of power and influence. Jounin Commander and the Council amounted to three-fourths of Konoha's political power, backed Danzou. Head of ANBU, who was supposed to make up the remaining one-fourth was being slowly excluded from that list, as ANBU were becoming irrelevant under the new Hokage. Root was gradually taking over ANBU's responsibilities, despite the latter's complete loyalty towards their Hokage. Situation seemed hopeless, but Hinata knew that Danzou could lose his power just as easily as he gained it. The question was how much the Leaf had to suffer before he finally gets removed. Her hope was that if Kakashi truly was on their side, he would use his position to soften the damage until the resistance gained enough strength to defeat Danzou.

Kakashi was having a dinner when she arrived home. He was eating the fish he cooked himself, one of the few meals he actually could make well. Of course, he made enough for her as well. He always made more food than needed, a habit from his childhood, when Rin and Obito would sometimes visit. He hadn't shown it then, but he secretly expected them, and so tried to make food for three. Even before his marriage he made more than necessary, so that he won't have a need to cook a new meal every day.

He readied himself for an argument, thinking she would immediately ask about what happened today with Kurenai. Or perhaps she would just ignore him and try to avoid him as much as possible. He was surprised, however, when she got some of the fish and joined him at the table. Discreetly, he was observing his wife, looking for any clues that might give him an idea of her state of mood. Unfortunately, it seemed being a Hyuga comes with the ability to wear a perfectly neutral facial expression. She took a bite, eyes widening slightly and turning at him.

"This is really great! Where did you find the recipe?"

Of all things, she asked him about the food? The necessity for small talk was a subject Kakashi never completely understood.

"It's my recipe."

"Really? That's amazing! You really are a genius…" That last part Hinata muttered more to herself, but Kakashi, enhanced hearing and all, was still able to hear it.

"There is nothing genius about cooking one meal, no matter how good," he stated flatly.

"I bet you can cook more than one meal," she tried to keep the conversation, but it seemed silence was the only thing Kakashi wanted to keep.

They continued eating in quiet for few more minutes, before Hinata decided to speak again.

"Uhm, Kakashi?" she waited for his reaction at her addressing him in such an informal way, and when nothing changed on his face she continued, "about what happened today…" She wanted to fix everything, but she didn't know his thoughts, so she needed to hear his side on what happened.

'_Here it comes_,' Kakashi thought. He didn't know what to say. Nothing really excused his behavior. Kurenai was his friend, and he essentially kicked her out of her apartment.

"I know that Kurenai is your teacher, and–"

"She is also your friend, is she not?!" Hinata decided to press gently. "She is supposed to be your friend, and you left her homeless."

Kakashi suppressed the urge to wince at her offhand comment.

"I didn't. I know that she is living with Shikamaru, I knew that she will have a place to stay at!"

"Why?" she asked. After he looked at her questioningly, she elaborated, "Why did you do it? Did you really have to do it?"

There were notes of disappointment in her eyes, but she did not get angry, nor did she start berating him. The first thing she asked was why. It was a testament to her empathy that even in such a one-sided situation she would ask for his reasons. Any other person would have made it clear by now how despicable his actions have been. But not Hinata, her eyes shone with an unspoken plea for an explanation. '_You must have a reason,_' they seemed to say.

He found himself even more disgusting than before. Something about her gentle nature made Hinata very scary to disappoint. It reminded him of Minato-sensei. Every time Kakashi did something stupid, his sensei would give him that disappointed look, and it was scary as hell. Scary, because he realized he was disappointing a person who thought so highly of him, and he let them down. You disappoint one of the few people whose opinion you value, and whom you want to always be proud of you. He wanted to tell her at least something, but he remembered that he had an image to keep.

'_I am in the private of my house, is there a point to acting?_'

He decided not, he was sick of pretending. Sick and tired, of seeing the same pleading eyes in his office and not responding to them. How many people, wronged by his and his Hokage's actions requested, begged him for help? How many ninjas reported a violation of their rights by Danzou's goons, seeking justice, only to be turned down by him? He could not respond to those silent pleas in his office in the Hokage Tower, but he'd be damned if he kept being Danzou's slave in his own home! With finality, he gave in and tried to placate his wife.

"Please, accept my apology, dear wife, I now realize that there could be a more gracious way to solve the matters."

"You don't need to apologize to me," she sighed, more at his overly corteous speech than anything else. "It's not me who you kicked out of their house."

Kakashi mentally cringed. That was fair, he supposed.

'_Okay, think fast._' He knew what he needed to do, but he still wanted to make sure it was the best way to go about it. Who better to ask than Kurenai's student?

"I will apologize to Kurenai-san then. I suppose some form of compensation is due as well?"

"That would be a wonderful idea," she said with a nod of approval. "I understand that you must've had your reason to deny her application, even though it was initially approved… But could you please, tell me what your reason was?"

Those lavender eyes, big and trusting. Looking into those pools shining with understanding, Kakashi felt himself crumble. He wanted to tell her the truth so bad…

He did not know if he could trust her to keep it secret. She could go tell her friends, or even her sister. As much as he knew that he could probably trust any of the people mentioned, he was a paranoid bastard. Spending half your life at the battlefield does that to a person. So, for the love of Icha Icha he couldn't tell her until he was 100% sure that she won't tell anybody. Finally, he opted for a half-truth.

"I… wanted her to live as far as possible from the Hokage tower."

It was only the tip of the iceberg, he knew. However, Kakashi couldn't very well reveal her all his plans. Sensing his reservations, Hinata did not press.

"I see," was all she said. '_What did he mean by that?_'

Was it to protect Kurenai? Or was it for Danzou's benefit? Could it be both? At least, it is not some petty reason, such as just following orders, right?

Thinking that he should add something, Kakashi said, "I did not like doing it. I just know that the area around our village's center will not be particularly comfortable to live in. I planned to give her another apartment several blocks away but decided that living in Nara compound would be best for her."

Hinata did not know of his reasons, but she saw that he at least was speaking truthfully. Unless of course he was an excellent actor, which she wouldn't put past him. Still, she wanted to believe him.

"It's alright, I think Kurenai-sensei would've understood if you just explained everything."

"Perhaps you are right. Alas, I don't think that after what happened she holds me in high regard. I doubt she will believe me now." Kakashi looked truly remorseful, eyes lowered in shame.

"You'll never know until you try," she encouraged. "To think of it, I also believe it is better for her to stay in Shikamaru's house. He doesn't mind it, and she and Mirai-chan will have some company."

Kakashi couldn't believe what he was being witness to. Here sat a woman, who by all rights should hate his guts, but she is trying her hardest to understand and be supportive.

He thought that even if they were married for love he wouldn't have deserved such a woman.

The silence that hung over the table was starting to get uncomfortable again, so he decided to speak of lighter matters, attempting to start a conversation that did not sound like negotiations.

"So," he said awkwardly, "tomorrow is Thursday."

"Indeed, it is," was her calm reply. It sounded like she said that just to be polite and support the conversation.

Each expected another to continue but nothing followed.

The two of them sat like that for a full minute before Hinata stood up.

"I'll do the dishes."

"Thank you... I'll head back to work then."

With those words, the two went their separate ways, one to the kitchen, another to the study.

Once again, Hinata lay in bed, alone. She did not mind, not one bit, but replaying the events of past few days in her head, she couldn't help but think that Kakashi was trying to respect her virtue to the point it harmed him. It was not healthy to have so little sleep. Of course, he could just be very busy, effectively running Konoha now that Danzou spent more of his time meddling in other countries' business. She heard Kakashi complain about how their Hokage is ruining diplomatic relations with Suna by making shamelessly unfair demands…

Debating whether she should leave the matters be or not, she ultimately decided to go check up on him. Getting up from the bed, she padded barefoot across the guest room towards the study. She stopped right before the closed door, hesitation resurfacing.

'_I'm already here,_' she gave herself a final push.

She opened the door as quietly as possible, peeking inside the room. There sat Kakashi, diligently studying some papers, probably a report or a letter. He immediately noticed her presence, taking his eyes off of his paperwork and looking at Hinata. Her appearance was hardly immodest. She had shorts and a T-shirt on, but it didn't prevent her from feeling embarrassed. She never showed so much skin, not even to her friends. A surprised look on Kakashi's face didn't help her self-conscience.

'_There is no way back_,' she thought, before gathering her wits and finally addressing him.

"Uhm, I just wanted to see if you are still up."

Kakashi was slightly bewildered, to be honest. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that his wife would seek him out so late at night. He suddenly regretted not paying attention to Genma and Asuma's conversations about girls when they were teenagers. Granted, their teenage versions were not much versed in the subject, so perhaps he didn't miss much. Although Asuma did manage to get Kurenai...

'_Well, got to get the status report first,_' his jounin instincts kicked in.

"Was there something you needed me for, dear wife?"

He thought that maybe she wanted him to go get something from the grocery store, but he then remembered that there was a curfew. Not that it stopped him from venturing out anyway. The store though, it did prevent from working at night.

Hinata flushed slightly, fidgeting and feeling silly. Him calling her 'dear wife' no longer sounded as a formality in this context. She remembered what he told her the first day, that they will not sleep with each other. What he said was for her benefit, she realized. She did not want her husband to neglect his health just to make her more comfortable. She was a ninja, she was a _Hyuga_. These kinds of situations were supposed to be her expertise. Who if not a Hyuga must know about dealing with delicacies of arranged marriages? Despite all that, Hinata did not feel like personal interactions were her forte. She still stuttered sometimes, when her nerves got the better of her.

She refused to meet his eyes, but nevertheless, answered. "I-I…" here comes the stutter, "I just thought that you must be tired a-and… maybe wouldliketogotobed?"

She delivered that last part so fast, all the while looking at the floor. Needless to say, Kakashi didn't get what she said. Seeing his confusion, but knowing there is no way she could repeat what she said, she decided that fleeing would be her best option. "Good night," she quickly throwed in before closing the door, and Kakashi heard her dash across the house. A second later, a distant sound of a door clicking.

Sighing, he stood up from his desk, looked at the time (it was well past midnight), damn those Suna negotiations; he would probably have to visit the Sand personally soon. Feeling bad for finishing so early, he nonetheless trudged to the bedroom. Even in the darkness he was able to see a mount under the sheets on the bed. Recognizing his wife, he took off his vest and gloves and went to sit down at the opposite side of the bed. Initially, he wanted to talk to her, clarify what she'd said to him just now. He knew she was not sleeping, her form under the blanket was too tense for a sleeping person.

"Hin– dear wife," he started, "I am sorry, but I am afraid I did not quite hear what you said before."

He decided a no blame approach would be best. It always helped with his students. And sure enough, he heard a muffled "sorry" from under the blanket.

He chuckled. How could this whole situation lead to something so weirdly comical? Actually, it seemed with Hinata everything was bound to become better in a weird kind of way. Anger was disappointment; disappointment was understanding; and now even worry transformed into something strangely funny.

She lied with her back to him, and it looked and sounded funny from his perspective. Cute, even. Would've never thought that about a woman, he thought. Mentally, he sorted out every member of the opposite gender he knew. All of them were fierce and strong, but he wouldn't assign the word 'cute' to any of them. Kurenai was womanly; Anko weird; Shizune capable. Sakura was girly, for lack of a better word. Kushina-sama… well, let's just say that Minato-sensei's wife was one of a kind.

Hinata, though, she was sweet. Had that gentle beauty about her that he never observed in any other shinobi. Gazing over the form under the blanket, Kakashi's breath almost hitched when a head revealed itself from the sheets. Like a little turtle.

"I just didn't want you to skip on sleep for my benefit…" She trailed off, eyes avoiding his.

'_Oh._'

"I assure you, I do not do it for your benefit," he said, ever the master of tact. "I do sleep, do I not?"

"Yes, but…" she seemed unsure, looking anywhere but him. "Nevermind."

"What?" he asked, couldn't help but being curious.

"Nothing," she quickly answered, still avoiding his eyes.

A heavy sigh escaped Kakashi's lips. Under the stoic façade, though, her every acton stirred a mushy feeling in his brain.

"Hinata," he started, absently thinking about her addressing him by name not long ago, "If you have any concerns, they are not unimportant to me. Nor I consider your opinions to be of no consequence. I will not push, but if you want something to say, I do encourage you to do so."

Hinata bit her lip. She did not want to cause distrust between them, especially after what he's just said. Looking in the general direction of her husband, she couldn't see what expression was hidden by lack of illumination on his face. Somehow, that gave her more confidence.

"I just thought that maybe you didn't want to make me uncomfortable, so you went to bed only after I fell asleep." There, she said it. She quickly turned around from him in embarrassment, listening for his response.

Silence.

It seemed to be present in most of their conversations. It stretched for some time, and Hinata almost thought her husband had fallen asleep. Turning back around to look at him, she was greeted with a much closer face of Kakashi. He seemed to have been staring intently at her all this time. A nervous lump was forming in her throat as nobody hurried to speak. Finally, Kakashi opened his mouth.

"I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable, and for making you worry." She noticed he was looking her in the eye, and she couldn't bring herself to avert her gaze, too vulnerable was his expression. "I was busy with work is all. But if it would please you, I will try to finish earlier and rest more," he finished.

'_He is trying so hard._' How could she not notice it before? His polite manners, his stiffness when they were alone, his consideration of all of her requests. He was just trying to make it easier on her. All the while she's been worrying how difficult he was going to make her life, when she should've been worried about how hard he was going to make it for himself by trying to be considerate.

"Please," she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You shouldn't neglect your health like that. I understand that you want to do as much work for the village as possible, but it would be more beneficial for the village if you were in optimal condition while doing so."

Now when he looked at her, she was all Kushina again. It was fascinating, really, how she could resemble Minato-sensei when disappointed and turn into Kushina-sama when lecturing people about looking after themselves. And even then, there was a note of softness in her tone. He used to notice similar behavior from her when he had missions with Kurenai's team. Now, though, it was much clearer what kind of person his wife was. She could be Minato-sensei, she could be Kushina-sama, heck, he suspected she had some Hiashi in her as well, but ultimately, she was Hinata. There was no one quite like the woman before him. He marveled at his sentimentality. Was it her compassion that brought those feelings?

She was beautiful, Kakashi decided, a sense of finality that both scared him and brought a new sort of excitement to his feelings. He wondered if kindness was something all members of the new generation shared.

'_To think, of it, this generation really is Konoha's bright future,_' he mused, thinking about Hinata and her classmates.

How they defended each other fiercely; and yet how forgiving was the woman before him. If Konoha was able to raise such fine ninja, then he could easily understand the desire of previous Hokage to protect the future generations. The King, as the Third often liked to call them. Because there is no one more precious than the young.

They say Hiruzen Sarutobi was smiling in his final moments. Listening to Hinata's lifestyle advice, he sort of understood why. For he would've done the same had he known just what treasure he was tasked to protect. Even an eternity in Demon's bowels, the result of the jutsu Sandaime used, seemed worth it for that moment. Kakashi was glad that in the end Lord Third did pass onto the afterlife, courtesy of the Sage of the Six Paths.

Hinata, not realizing that Kakashi was having a moment of revelation, went back to sleep, no longer expecting him to say anything.

"Thank you," she heard him say, voice thick with emotion.

It was the first time she could clearly decipher his feelings, and she was glad to note that he felt happy, like he was able to find something he thought he lost a long time ago. Smiling to herself, seeing another human side of Kakashi, her conviction in his possible redemption strengthened. With those final thoughts sleep finally claimed her.

* * *

**Chapter 1 was more of an introduction, I suppose. **

**Thank you all who reads, follows and favorites my story. It's funny how much it motivates me to make this fanfic as good as possible. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Kakashi was eating his early breakfast at 6 am, trying his best not to display his lack of sleep. Now, it wasn't something unusual for the Copy Nin. His position as Jounin Commander alone would ensure that late nights and early mornings like that were somewhat of a regular occurrence. Coupled with the fact that he was involved in many things outside his strict responsibilities, it was pretty much a normal thing for him to start his day like that.

What had Kakashi thrown off balance was his wife that for some reason decided to keep him company during his meal.

Hinata, who seemed far more comfortable than what he expected her to be after only a few days of their marriage, was currently telling him about her plans for the day. Despite the information being completely irrelevant to Kakashi and his tired state, he paid full attention in case she asked his input on the topic. Thus, he attentively listened to how she was going to the market, apparently for tea, food and whatnot. He listened her complain of the market getting worse, the weather getting cold and how she wondered if Hanabi was causing any trouble back at the clan compound. Mentally, he noted down that despite the subject of conversation being light, she seemed to carefully choose each word. She referred to her home as clan compound; not once said that she missed her sister, even though it was obvious from the way her voice changed when speaking about Hanabi, her gaze becoming so wistful that it broke his heart a little everytime he looked her in the eyes. While he was deep in thought about what could he do to improve her situation, he completely overheard what his wife said next. Only when he stopped hearing the soft lullaby of her voice did he realize that she was waiting for his response. So much for paying his full attention…

"I am sorry, dear wife," he started, rubbing the exhaustion out of his eyes, "I did not quite hear, what did you say just now?"

Hearing Kakashi formally addressing her and in such a tone, Hinata mentally winced. '_Maybe I should've phrased it differently_,' she thought, or perhaps she started too soon. But she thought she started far enough, and the shift from one topic to another was inconspicuous_._ Apparently, nothing goes unnoticed by Kakashi Hatake, so the woman took a small breath and started again, tentatively.

"I'm sorry," she echoed her husband, "I just wanted to know what your plans are for today?" It did not help that her question sounded a tad bit too cautious, but then again, if her husband did not like 'Anyways, how about you?', then what she could possibly change aside from her tone.

"Work," he replied, and then, after an awkward pause, "not particularly interesting... I am more interested in your happenings. You said how it's getting cold. Don't you have any suitable clothes?"

He thought that maybe she didn't have a warm enough coat, or maybe her jacket or blouse or whatever women wear got too small or out of fashion. What he failed to think about was that he did not sound even remotely friendly.

"Ah, no, uhm… Thank you. I have my jacket, I just… I am going to wear it today?" '_Why does my reply sounds like a question?_' she thought.

Again, Kakashi's not so tactful phrasing and not so empathetic tone made Hinata falter. Was it that she said something wrong? Before she could gather her wits to steer the conversation elsewhere, Kakashi continued.

"You also mentioned Hanabi… How is she?"

He tried to convey that he understood that Hanabi and Hinata might not take their separation well, but it sounded more like him asking for the sake of being polite. He noted, for umpteenth time, that he needed to work on his communication skills. It seemed, however, that Hinata understood what he meant. She also didn't seem to mind his changing the subject of conversation back to her.

"She will be fine," she said, a little smile on her face, an icebreaker of sorts between the two. "She will deny and resist, but eventually she will accept that we cannot always be together. She is stubborn that way."

Again, that wistful tone and look. Kakashi didn't know anything of value about his wife, but he sure knew that a sad look had no place on her young face.

'_Though her voice is nice,_' Kakashi thought. '_As is her smile._'

Seeing that smile, the first one she had since the day they married as far as he knew, Kakashi could not help but ask her more about her sister. He was sick of people glaring at him. He longed for a friendly face, and Hinata's tentative smile was the friendliest face he got since his appointment as Danzou's advisor. So forgive him if he wanted to indulge that smile for a little while longer.

The whole time she talked about Hanabi, that smile did not go away.

"Hanabi-chan is very willful. The only people she _tries _to listen to are Father and myself. She likes to have fun and play around, like a normal kid her age, I suppose, even though it's kind of hard for her," the Hyuga said, remembering quite a few unpleasant moments from their past that led her to such conclusion. "But she is not immature," she quickly added. "Sometimes she says something and it's so wise! I wonder if she just repeats what her teachers or Father said or if she actually speaks from experience. Anyway, she seems to understand what she is talking about, she always sounds so sure."

Hinata knew that her missing her sister was showing, but she liked talking about her dear sister who she was so proud of. She also thought it would be good in her mission to bring out Kakashi's humanity. Maybe she could make them meet properly and have some quality time together in the future. Kakashi did not seem to mind listening to her stories about her with Hanabi's childhood. He even chuckled a couple of times when she mentioned something particularly funny or embarrassing. Not once during their conversation it felt like he was a bad guy at all.

Hinata's stories seemed endless, but Kakashi did not mind listening to them. One particular episode from his wife's childhood had especially arisen his curiosity. It was after Hinata told him of Hanabi's refusal to harm her during their sparring sessions.

"So, she just stood there, in front of Hiashi and clan elders, and refused to fight?" Kakashi asked, his tone slightly bewildered.

"Yep. Said that there was no point in us fighting anymore since we've done it so many times before. She told Father that strength anyway is not the only quality important for a leader. She made her case pretty sound for a seven-year-old," Hinata said proudly, noticing how Kakashi's surprised look morphed to one of astonishment. He seemed to be impressed by her sister so far. '_Hopefully, it stays like this_,' she thought, if only to make his confrontation with her sister less hostile, at least on his part. She couldn't vouch for Hanabi's behavior after what's happened.

"Your sister sounds like a very strong person, dear wife." Truly, that brat had gained more respect in his eyes. "And her reverance of your person can only mean the highest of praises for you."

'_Not bad for a compliment, Hatake_,' he gave himself a mental pat on the back.

Indeed, his wife blushed a little. She found it adorable in a way, how Kakashi spoke with her. Like he's been taking Hyuga etiquette classes together with her and her sister all those years. Hinata also couldn't miss how Kakashi was much more open with his emotions this morning when talking to her.

"Thank you. You should see her when she is angry though. Not towards you, of course, but… Generally, when she is angry. At something…"

"I don't mind if she is angry at me. As long as she is honest." Copy Nin didn't want his own wife to think that he couldn't take someone's criticism or negative opinion of him.

Kakashi noticed Hinata's face betray a hint of surprise at his response, before she quickly recovered. Did he really seem that unapproachable to people? His wife, though, had already moved on with their conversation.

"Oh, she is always honest. Except for when she needs something from you, then she can butter you up a little." She sighed, "Sometimes, that brash manner of her causes more trouble though."

"Oh, I perfectly understand. I was like that when I was a kid. Though people say I am still like that even now."

Kakashi did understand. How many lectures did he have to endure from Kushina-sama for interrupting her, complaining of her loud and obnoxious behavior, or generally being a tactless twerp? "_Kushina-san,"_ he always told her back then, "_it's not fair since I'm only saying the truth_." She never got upset though, always returning to her cheerful self after smacking him lightly and giving him a piece of her mind. She never held his arrogance or rudeness against him, easily accepting the boorish kid that he was.

'_Come to think of it, Hinata and Hanabi both remind me of two sides of Kushina-sama._'

One kind and caring, and one forceful and stubborn. Yet both are close and inseparable, really, for there were glimpses of both in Kushina at the same time. Perhaps, Hinata and Hanabi were not so different too, he mulled.

They kept their friendly chatter, and Hinata could not believe what she was being witness to. Barely a week passed, and Kakashi already talked to her and seemed like a reasonable, decent person. His eyes, although impassive, shone with honesty that she'd never seen in anyone aside from her little sister. He seemed calm, if not pensive, and when talking about Hanabi he looked and sounded genuinely intrigued. It's as if the Kakashi everyone talked about outside and Kakashi she saw at his home were completely different men. Feeling daring, she asked her husband if Hanabi could visit from time to time. She did not mean to sound so hopeful, but she couldn't prevent her wish to see her sister from showing.

After hearing her rather strong desire to see her little sister, Kakashi's face immediately changed. Adopting a serious, almost distant expression, the man sat there, elbows on the table and hands under his chin, thinking. Muttering "no"s and "that wouldn't work"s under his breath, he raked his brain for the best solution. He remained like this for a while until he noticed Hinata's expression begin to fall.

Clearly, she thought he was about to refuse or was downright ignoring her request.

Despite having a strong urge to panic, he called for his years of ninja experience to properly assess the situation and put his sharp mind to use. He never ceased to be surprised at how well he could think when under pressure.

"I have an idea," he said quickly, rushing to reassure his wife. She immediately perked up and turned to him, all ears. The hopeful expression returning on her visage caused another warm feeling stir in Copy Nin's chest. Licking his lips, he started, minding his every word, "From what you've told me about your sister, she takes her education seriously but at the same time knows to take a break and have some fun. I think it would be in everyone's benefit if she visited and stayed overnight during the weekends. I could reason with Hiashi-sama and tell him that you miss each other, and also express my wish to train Hanabi-chan myself. That way," he explained, "we'll have a good excuse for Hanabi-chan to spend her weekends here and it will not affect her education, as she will be studying the rest of the week as usual. She won't be slacking off here either, since I do plan to train with her." After a little pause, Kakashi added, "Of course all three of us can train together, if you so wish, dear wife."

Kakashi looked at his wife and for a moment thought that maybe he needed to reformulate his plan, as her face was unreadable for a moment. If anything, Hinata seemed troubled. She had her hand clasped over her mouth and… _wait a second, are those tears? _Before he could declare his plan to be a failure, she blinked her eyes and looked at him with the most magnificent, heartfelt smile he's ever seen.

**"**Thank you," she grinned, all joy and relief. "Thank you, so much!"

Hinata managed to hold her tears, but she couldn't hold her joy. The prospect of being able to not only see Hanabi regularly but spend two whole days a week with her was simply delightful. Between her arranged marriage and her Father's demanding nature, she wouldn've even dreamt of spending so much time with her sister. Kakashi not only allowed her to visit (which would've been perfectly reasonable in on itself), but effectively promised to goad her father to allow Hanabi a weekend of rest every week. Kami knows her little sister deserved some carefree time in her life.

Suddenly, her mission was not so unbearable anymore. Perhaps Hinata won't be as lonely, and surely Kakashi was capable of kindness. They might even become close companions in time, or even friends. He could fix all the mess he caused, and everyone will be free of the oppressive regime that was choking Konoha citizens' freedom. Of course, that could be no more than just wishful thinking spurred by her elation, but the fact that Hanabi will visit filled her with more hope than everything so far. Most importantly, it gave her hope on Kakashi, that he was not as ruthless as the rumors said.

Noting how excited Hinata was and how she looked forward to weekend, Kakashi felt that it was the first time in many months that his plan had given him such satisfaction. Even the prospect of doing what he had to do today as part of his work didn't seem that bad after such a pleasant start to his day…

Kakashi finished the last of his breakfast and thanked Hinata for a meal before looking at the clock. What do you know, it looked like he'll be a little late for work.

He hasn't been late to anything since Danzou took over.

* * *

Hinata and Sakura were comrades. In fact, both women would like to call themselves as friends. But today, Hinata hoped that Sakura would be her ally more than anything. Two of them were seemingly lounging in a cosy cafe, with Sakura having her lunch a little bit early to accommodate her friend. That was only the surface of the matter, however, and the pink-haired medic had picked upon the fact immediately when Hinata suggested they talk privately.

"So," Sakura spoke, taking a bite of her pulled pork sandwich, "you wanted to talk about Kakashi-sensei?"

The Hyuga nodded, feeling immensely grateful that Sakura agreed to eat here rather than the usual Hospital cafeteria. That place was completely unsuited for such conversations.

"He seemed very tired this morning. Even more so than usual," Hinata started, fiddling with the straw of her milkshake, "and his exhaustion seemed to stem from not just overwork."

Sakura noted the meaning behind her friend's words. She bit her lip, deciding on whether she should say something or not. Hinata took her silence as a refusal, so she pressed further.

"I know that there are things you are privy to as his student," the statement was innocent enough, "but I worry for his–"

"It's his work," Sakura said, cutting Hinata off. A questioning glance from the woman opposite to her spurred her to elaborate, "I mean that his work is shit, is all…"

Hinata nodded, dejectedly. It seemed she won't get much today.

Sakura, being her rational self, didn't want to keep Kakashi's own wife in the dark. But she wasn't sure if she should say anything on the matter, seeing as her teacher was the one having a shitty job. Suddenly, an idea came to her.

"Hinata-chan, how about you help me today at the hospital?"

Hinata would've jumped at the opportunity to improve at medical jutsu and expand her knowledge either way, but something in Sakura's tone suggested they will be doing more than that.

"I would love to," she replied, "thank you!"

'_No need to thank me yet,_' thought the pink-haired woman, hastily shoving the remains of her sandwich in her mouth and beckoning the Hyuga to follow her out of the cafe.

Five minutes into her field trip, and Hinata couldn't help but notice the state of things in the facility. Konoha Hospital was heavily understaffed and underequipped: doctors and technicians were rushing off somewhere all the time; pharmacists constantly busy, often having to multitask; even the patients seemed like they were in a hurry to leave the place, likely scared off by the overbearing atmosphere.

"Outragious, isn't it?" she heard Sakura say. "Since Danzou took over, the funding keeps getting cut. Not to mention that we've lost many qualified professionals in the war." There was a storm behind those emerald eyes when Sakura talked about the hospital, and Hinata could feel just from her friend's tone alone that things were very bad.

"Do you think it's okay for me to be here? I'm happy to help, but if you guys don't need any distractions…"

"Pfft, as if our performance reports are going to change much if you are here to learn," the young Head of Hospital said. "If anything, you are going to be of much assistance here."

As if to prove her point, Sakura gestured towards the utter chaos that was their main hospital and only shinobi-treating facility. Hinata cringed at the amount of stress the staff there had to endure. The numbers of medical errors would probably be at an all-time high had there been no Sakura to supervise it.

"So, are you ready to enter hell?" the pinkette asked playfully.

Hinata only nodded in response, determined to do her best.

Hospital work was uneventful for the most part. Hinata helped with conducting health checks and treating minor to moderate injuries, something that she would've never been allowed had the situation not been so dire. Thankfully, her performance was more than adequate.

She had been left under the care of another doctor as Sakura worked in her office. Thus, Hinata was surprised to see her friend approach the counter where she'd been checking patients' charts unitl now.

"Let's go," was all Sakura said, before she sharply turned around and started striding towards the exit.

The Hyuga understood that what Sakura had really invited her for was about to start, so she hastily followed her friend outside.

"We are going to Kurenai-sensei's former house," Sakura said when Hinata caught up with her. "There is something you need to see for yourself."

A powerful sound of explosion echoed across the village just as the woman finished her words. Hinata and Sakura lifted their gazes to see the smoke coming from the village center, and that's where approximately Kurenai's old apartment complex was located.

Hinata didn't ask any more questions.

* * *

Sometimes Kakashi hated Konoha.

It was the kind of hatred an unruly child would convince himself of towards his older sibling or parent. He would be sure to resent them for an hour or so, until his frustration dissipated. After that, things would go back to normal. This feeling was similar to Kakashi's current case.

Except that the village hated him in return, and that hatred had more substance than just mere lack of communication.

He would've sulked on it longer if the municipal representative wasn't being in danger of getting eaten alive by the angry citizens. Poor man had to put his neck on the line for the higher-ups to get away with their dirty deeds. Kakashi had a hard time blaming the low-rank governors, even though many of them were not particularly courageous or honest. They were, afterall, hostages to the likes of Danzou and him.

For that reason, and because some of the Root agents stationed around seemed to start getting anxious, Kakashi decided to step up to the scene.

"I would ask for your restraint," he commanded as loud as it could be done without shouting, releasing a hint of killing intent. Mentally he felt like an utter monster for threatening his own people.

That's not to say that his method was ineffective in calming down the crowd. Everyone immediately quietened, all eyes turning from trembling municipal official towards him. He took notice of their scornful expressions, the few shinobi who were in the midst looking the angriest.

"As your municipal representative said, your house will be unavailable indefinitely, until the investigation is over."

"Forget about the damn house!" he heard someone from the crowd yell. "What the hell happened just now?"

"Yeah!"

"We need an explanation!"

Kakashi's jaw tightened as he watched citizens of Konoha shout at him, last billows of smoke rising from a partially destroyed apartment complex at the background. He made sure any fire was promptly neutralized and the explosion itself didn't hurt anybody. Yet, it still didn't feel like he did enough for his people. And now he had to reap what he sowed.

"We were lucky nobody was killed," one shinobi yelled, one of the few who weren't afraid to look the Copy Ninja in the eyes. "But how do you expect us to continue like this? Without any explanation we are being told to vacate our homes! Just like that? What about the explosion?"

There was a wave of concerting murmurs among the people gathered, and it seemed to spur their boldness. Some were beginning to give up on the explanation, their anger only fueling their agression, while others still tried to get an answer from him. Kakashi watched how Root operatives changed their stances ever so slightly, the familiar tenseness obvious to his trained eye. That ninja who started this whole mess also seemed to notice, as his eyes widened and turned to his in a silent accusation.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, he saw Sakura arrive. That pink mop of hair easily stood out from the crowd. At first, he was relieved that she arrived; even though nobody was killed, it still was worth to take additional precaution. His relief, however, immediately turned to alarm as he saw dark blue hair follow his student.

Hinata couldn't believe her eyes. Even as she stood amidst all the destruction, it simply couldn't register that something like that could happen in her village during times of peace. But the explosion had been real, and if she were less politically savvy, an accident would be her first guess. However, it was no accident. That much was clear to her as soon as she saw her husband and a whole platoon of Root agents at the scene of explosion.

"As I said, we are conducting an investigation. Until the investigation is over, everyone who lives in this block will be asked to vacate the premises. Any injured can address our medic who is on sight, she will tend to your wounds," Kakashi spoke with professional dryness all the while looking Hinata straight in the eyes.

It was as if he was trying to tell her something, to convey a message with his eyes. She couldn't waste time thinking on the matter, however. Angry mob, disgruntled by his tone more suited for a scientific report than reassurance, started to advance towards him. Their actions were perfectly understandable, and she doubted that they wanted anything more than proper answers, but she wasn't sure they were getting them in such a manner.

"No," Hinata heard Sakura mutter beside her, "Root."

As if on cue, the 'peacekeepers' of their village started to tense, no doubt readying themselves for action. She was about to race there when Kakashi lunged into the crowd. It felt like time stopped, and Hinata could see with complete clarity how her husband punched some random tenant in the stomach. Luckily, he seemed to be a ninja, and even though the force of the punch could be felt as far as from her with Sakura's position, he took the punch well. That still didn't prevent the poor fellow from cowering in pain, clutching his stomach and gasping for air.

An absolute silence took over. People just stood there, comprehending what just happened, while Kakashi rubbed his knuckles. The Root – relaxed as ever – stood back.

The spell was broked when Hinata rushed to the poor man's side, all thoughts beginning to jumble in her head. With slightly trembling hands, she started checking up on the fallen ninja, performing first aid. Sakura too was able to shake off her shock; she immediately went about her business tending to whatever needs the injured had – Hinata was capable of helping that guy.

"Clearly, this village's security is inadequate, eh, Kakashi?" Hinata heard someone from Root say, probably their commander. In her haste to help the injured man Hinata forgot that Kakashi was still standing a few feet away from them.

"People are just rattled by the explosion, nothing more," her husband replied. "The threat is easily contained."

It was clear that by 'threat' Kakashi meant the people of Konoha. Bile rose in Hinata's throat at the implication. How could they discuss their own countrymen with such indifference?

"Oh, we'll see what Danzou will have to say about that…" was the nameless official's reply, before the sound of Shunshin carried Kakashi and the Root members away.

Hinata concentrated on healing the man in front of her, trying to calm her nerves. You can't perform a healing jutsu with anger swirling in your mind.

"You have a broken rib," she finally relayed her diagnosis, "the punch seems to have reached the bottom of your chest as well."

The man wheezed in acknowledgement and tried to sit up. Evidently, the hit was hard. When she's done all she could, the man just disappeared with a Shunshin of his own. The only thing left behind him was a stretch of purple band. She picked the thin material, surprised that one side of it was sticky. That was when she remembered the purple markings on the man's face.

"What's that you have there?" she heard Sakura's voice behind her.

"Oh, it's just this strange patch the man who was hit by… he wore it on his face, I think…" Hinata replied, handing the purple thing closer for Sakura to inspect.

"That's not a patch…" her friend said, before adding, "I suggest you keep it. Who knows, maybe it's important and you'll need to give it back."

Hinata doubted that it was important, but shoved the material in her pocket anyway.

* * *

"How could he do it?!"

Hinata asked that question for what felt like millionth time this evening. As soon as she came to their with Kakashi's shared house, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't as it seemed. First off, Sakura, with her secrets and arrival to the sight of explosion. She knew that something bad was going to happen, but she seemed equally surprised when the explosion occured. This could be easily explained with the fact that Kakashi wasn't letting anyone completely in on his plans.

Secondly, and more importantly, Kakashi himself… It was obvious that he knew about the explosion, and it was a perfect explanation for his worrisome state this morning. Also, nobody was seriously harmed as a result, she reminded herself. How could a house full of apartments explode with no casualties? Not that she wasn't glad there weren't any, but coincidences like that were extremely improbable.

Hinata replayed the events of that afternoon in her head, remembering the large building with a gaping whole in it left by the blast. All the people who stood amidst the ruins…

That's when it hit her!

"There were far too few tenants compared to the capacity of the building itself!" she nearly shouted.

Maybe they were made to leave after the explosion? Or maybe new tenants weren't allowed due to nepotism, like Kurenai…

'_Wait a minute, Kurenai-sensei!_'

Kakashi didn't allow Kurenai to live there, and her apartment was in fact somewhere near the blast area. Earlier, he also explained that he had a reason to prevent Kurenai from settling there.

'_No.'_

No-no-no-no! Could it be?

'_Yes!_'

It made sense now! If her theory was true, then Kakashi was at least looking out for his friend. And the fact that nobody was killed only proved his capacity for kindness in her eyes. He knew that there was going to be an explosion, so he promptly removed all the potentially affected tenants. There were still a lot of things Kakashi needed to explain, a lot of unanswered questions, but Hinata was patient. She will get to the truth no matter what.

Just when her determination surged, there was a creak at the porch followed by a sound of footsteps in the hall. Hinata turned around with such a speed that even Lee would've been impressed.

There, at the foot of the table, stood none other than her husband.

"I'm home," he calmly said, brushing off at his chest.

"W-welcome," Hinata replied with a bit of a lag, before remembering that in her state she forgot to cook anything for dinner. "There is no dinner yet," she said rather lamely.

Kakashi nodded, making a move straight to his study room, only to have Hinata block his path.

A curse died in his throat after he saw his wife's expression. Instead of the accusation that has become so familiar to the Copy Ninja, there was a question. And it wasn't the one of confusion either, because she looked like she had specific questions to ask. Kakashi remembered how Sakura and Hinata arrived together at the scene earlier that day.

'_Figures._'

Kakashi relaxed his posture, letting her know that he was listening.

"What happened today wasn't an accident and we both know it," Hinata said, tone gentle, no hint of blame in her voice. "What I don't know but think that you do, is why?"

Once again that question.

Why?

If only more people asked that question before jumping to conclusions of their own. That simple word was like a breath of fresh air everytime it left Hinata's lips. Kakashi was at home, with his wife, for Pete's sake! Could he for once tell her the complete truth?

Hinata saw the struggle within her husband, and decided that half-an-answer now is better than a full answer when it might be too late.

"It's okay if there are some things you can't tell me," she prodded cautiously.

"Alright," Kakashi cut, swallowing, "remember what I told you about Kurenai? What happened today was precisely the reason why I did it."

Alright, Hinata thought, that was one thing she got right. "Nobody was killed," she said meaningfully, leading for a broader answer.

Kakashi nodded. "That's also me. Everything was me. The explosion, that guy, I did it! Danzou–"

His mild outburst was interrupted by a wince of pain. Almost imperceptibly, Kakashi's hand went to his chest, before he could stop himself mid way. Hinata still noticed everything.

"Danzou," he continued after a few calming breaths, "he wanted to use the explosion as an excuse to increase the military presence in Konoha. I suspect significantly more Root will be patrolling the area, and they might even start breaking in people's houses if things continue going that way."

Hinata was stunned to silence. What her husband was saying meant that they would have to be even more careful in the future if they didn't want to get under Danzou's repressions. Suddenly, Kakashi's conversation with that Root member emerged in her mind.

"That Root commander," she said, eyes flickering to Kakashi's upper body in worry, "you were talking about it, weren't you?"

"Yeah," he exhaled, forcefully relaxing his posture, "he's no Root, though. Some mercenary Danzou hired on a whim. Probably to use him as a proxy to harass other Shinobi Villages. He likes that strategy."

Hinata nodded absently, her interest in that mercenary fading to the background compared to her worry for her husband's health.

"What happened? Your chest…"

She stretched her hand in an attempt to see the injured area when he stopped her by the wrist.

"It's fine," he dismissed, "just some intense training. I already received medical aid so it's fine. Just need to wait until it heals by itself.

Hinata could see from the expression in his eyes that he was putting his foot down on that subject. Not that she didn't trust her husband, but his explanation was too vague and guarded to be completely honest.

Kakashi passed her over, disappearing behind the door of his study before she could tell him that dinner will be ready within an hour.

* * *

"I have a report for you, Danzou!" a loud voice boomed, following an equally loud bang of his office door slamming open. "Sheesh, you really like dark, do ya?" the same voice asked, allowing his eyes to adjust to the room's dim lighting after the contrast of bright corridors of the Hokage Tower.

"Out with it," Danzou hissed, not one to tolerate attitude so late in the day.

"A'ight," said mercenary said, not bothering to kneel before his master. What impudence. "Me and boys did as agreed. I'm sure you could see the big boom from your drum."

Danzou let a hum of approval. "What of Kakashi?"

"Seems fine ta me," the loud man scrunched his face in confusion. "A little intense, but ya know, to each their own."

"What about the villagers?"

"Now, those fuckers are feisty, I tell ya!"–the mercenary chuckled, looking around the study in curiosity, as if in a trinket shop–"I'd tighten things 'round here if I were you."

"Luckily, you are not me," Danzou sighed. "Leave."

The man had enough manners to get out of Hokage's sight when told to, at least. Danzou had some time to ponder before retiring. One particular event kept resurfacing in his mind during those times – his battle with Sasuke Uchiha.

_"Why, you, insolent boy!"_

_He stood so close to the Uchiha brat that the smell of ozone almost made him believe that he was amidst of a rainstorm. Except that the pitter-patter he heard on the ground was from their blood, not rain. Danzou felt the lightning sword disappear from his enemy's hand and with it the static that made the hair stand on the back of his neck._

_"You are the one who will meet Itachi, Danzou," the boy spat, tumbling back. Such a bold claim for someone who could barely stand._

_'I have a couple more Sharingans left, my Izanagi will keep me alive,' raced in Danzou's head while he was falling to the ground. '__At least long enough to get rid of the pest.'_

_Sasuke Uchiha was coughing up blood of his own, and his hesitance to strike only proved that he was at the brink of exhaustion. That red-haired girl who stood uselessly aside was now coming up to heal the bastard._

_He couldn't allow that._

_Summoning the last vestige of his strength, Danzou lunged forward, knocking the girl out cold. He hoped she'd die from the head injury, annoying little snot._

_His sudden action seemed to startle the Uchiha brat, as he stumbled further away, falling on the ground. His heavy pants resounded in Danzou's head, or maybe they were his own? No matter. He'll finish the boy and get back to Konoha to recuperate. He lost nearly all his Sharingans and it seemed his enemy's own pair would be the consolation prize for Danzou._

_Just when he stood up, he heard someone appear behind him. He had enough to turn around and see a blur of orange and black before everything went dark._

_The next morning, he woke up in Root headquarters in Konoha._

Danzou rewinded that fight over and over in his head, and all the time came to the same conclusion.

Sasuke Uchiha could be alive.


	4. Chapter 4

Kakashi stood in the yard of the Hyuga compound, waiting. Getting Hiashi's approval of his idea was easy enough, and the only thing left was for him to collect his young charge for the weekend.

His young charge, though, did not seem particularly keen on being collected.

He decided he will wait for 5 more minutes and if she doesn't appear, he would go get her himself. Mentally, he wondered if that was how his students felt when he was late all the time whenever they had a meeting.

Luckily, it didn't get to the point when Kakashi would begin losing his patience, as Hanabi finally came out with a very sour expression on her face. If the girl was anything like Kakashi when he was her age, he was in for a troublesome weekend. He mentally prepared himself and went to meet her halfway out.

"What do you want?" he heard her immediately saying.

He sighed. Here it comes…

"I believe the first thing to say when meeting someone is 'hello'," he replied calmly, knowing full well that the girl was aware why he came. There was no way Hinata didn't tell her sister about their plans for her weekends nor for Hiashi to not brief his daughter about her schedule.

The girl just humphed, demonstratively looking away from him.

They set into a leisure pace, walking beside each other. For a long time, neither said anything; Kakashi not knowing what to say, and Hanabi not wanting to say anything to the bastard. Finally, Kakashi risked breaking the ice.

"So… Hinata spoke about you a lot…" he offered rather stiffly, waiting for a response.

He decided to at least establish a civil relationship, and then go from there. He did not have much experience with children apart from his students, and of all his students the only one, interactions with whom were remotely similar to the current situation was Sasuke. He did not think his handling of Sasuke was particularly successful, so he decided to base his further actions on the second closest thing – his ninken. He got all eight of them to listen to him, right? Thus, by all means, he should be fine. Heck, his team alone was troublesome enough back in the day. Besides, if Hanabi is anything like him, he was sure he'd manage. So, he patiently waited for her response. Which, admittedly, didn't take long to come.

"And what's it to you?" Hanabi spat, clearly unwilling.

Despite such a cold start, Kakashi remained optimistic. Copy Nin knew that her talking to him was a good sign. His younger self would have just ignored him.

"Hanabi-chan," he started anew, ignoring the way she bristled. "Hinata wanted to spend some time with you, so she asked me to get you for the weekend. You should know that you will be training with me for a part of the day, depending on my availability, but the rest of the day you are free to do anything. You can spend it all with your sister if you want."

She looked at him, still not quite believing, but the wall of distrust was unable to contain her excitement. It was abundantly clear that Hanabi was looking forward to spending the weekend with her sister.

An idea came to the last Hatake's mind when they came across an ice cream stand. It wasn't hard to deduce from the sheer number of children around that sweet things attract kids. Getting himself one, he turned to Hanabi and went down on one knee to get on eye level with the girl. Although, it was more like she was looking down at him now – Hanabi wasn't so short as to be on eye level with a kneeling man.

"I know that you study and train hard, Hanabi-chan"–he handed her a cone of chocolate ice cream–"so consider tonight as taking a well-deserved break."

The girl was studying her ice cream intently. Kakashi smiled to himself. It was simple, really, giving incentives to reward good behavior. He employed this method all the time with Naruto and his ninken. The results never disappointed.

'_Or not_,' he thought when he sensed something cold and sticky on his hair. He immediately identified it to be the ice cream he bought for Hanabi. Said girl was standing with her arms crossed, a defiant expression on her face. Kakashi sighed. This was going to be a long weekend.

"So, I get it you don't like chocolate?"

Instead of honoring him with an answer, she turned and went ahead towards their destination.

'_The brat better be happy to meet her sister_,' he thought, wiping off as much of the sticky treat from his hair.

A delicious smell of Hinata's cooking met the pair when they set foot inside the house. Barely getting rid of her sandals Hanabi ran to greet her sister at once. Kakashi lagged behind, entering the guest room to witness a heartwarming scene between two siblings. Hanabi was practically bouncing with excitement, while Hinata looked positively glowing. Seeing their happy faces only reinforced the thought that it wasn't right that the two couldn't meet each other often. Between Hanabi's intensive studies and Hinata's arranged marriage, the pair of them were potentially looking at weeks or even months without quality time together. Hinata made a point to visit, but Kakashi imagined it was hard to have an open conversation in Hyuga household, where manners and protocol did not allow them to act as the close sisters they were supposed to be.

"Neechan, how are you doing?" Hanabi asked her sister, concern etched on her face. The girl even dared to send Kakashi a suspicious glance afterwards.

Hinata only smiled reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Hanabi-chan, and what about you?"

Said girl directed a scanning look over her older sister, studying her from head to toe. Then once again sent a dirty look towards the masked man. Turning back to Hinata, she nodded, apparently satisfied with her examination.

"I'm alright. Tireeed," she drew out the last word to emphasize the point. "Father is driving me crazy with his training."

Hinata's smile dampened. Of course, Father and his draconian training.

She knew that Hanabi wanted to be a clan head, but Hinata couldn't help but think that if she weren't so weak Hanabi would have a carefree childhood. It felt as if she stripped her sister of that freedom by selfishly dumping her responsibilities on her. Hanabi, of course, noticed Hinata's distress. And of course, immediately knew what the cause of it was.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she sighed. "Neechan, I don't mind it. And you didn't dump your duties on me, so don't blame yourself. If you want someone to blame, blame Father!" She then glared scathingly at Kakashi, indicating that Hiashi is not the only one to blame there. "Besides, it's not so bad. I get to learn a lot of cool stuff. Why, just yesterday I did this thing, and it's…"

Kakashi was observing the two while Hanabi was telling her lighthearted story in her attempt to distract her sister. Hanabi seemed to notice even the slightest shift in Hinata's mood, always acting accordingly. The girl immediately started reassuring her sister. It was baffling how they seemed to understand each other at a glance. It was quite clear for the Copy Nin that the two cared deeply for one another. Such bond was precious. Kakashi unwittingly got reminded of the days when he was a kid, when Obito and Rin shared a similar level of understanding with him. Now only Gai seemed to retain such an ability. The man still could often read him like a book.

Despite everything, what Kakashi witnessed now felt like it was even stronger. The two were not only friends, but family. And it was likely they had only each other to lean on for a long time when they were little. He felt guilty for stripping them of each other.

'_Well, at least I managed to make it better for the two_,' he consoled, regarding this weekend plan of his.

Hinata was so happy to spend two whole days with her little sister. She really did miss those interactions that you could have only in a private of your room, not thinking about Hyuga traditions. Just the two of them, being sisters. Thinking about it filled her with immense gratitude towards Kakashi. He went out of his way for all this trouble. She was about to tell him just that when she noticed something weird about his hair. For some reason it had a sizeable brown spot in it. It was splotched unceremoniously across the silver of his mane, reminding her of something less than pleasant.

"Kakashi," Hinata addressed him when her sister made a pause in her tale. "You have something…" She made a vague gesture around the top of her indigo locks.

"Ah, that is just some ice cream," he replied nonchalantly.

'_Ice cream? What would ice cream…_' she heard her sister snicker.

"Hanabi!" she turned towards the girl menacingly, making her still.

"It's not my fault, neechan," she pleaded. "He didn't even ask me what flavor I like!"

"But it's brown," Hinata deadpanned. "So, it was chocolate! You like chocolate!" she scolded her. Even Kakashi felt some second-hand guilt from his wife's stern gaze; maybe he should've covered for the brat this once. "And that's not even the point. Why would you do something like that?"

"You are right, that's not the point," Hanabi replied, suddenly looking at her sister with a matching anger.

The girl's shift in attitude was so abrupt, that even Kakashi became alert. Somehow, he didn't get a feeling that it was a trivial outburst.

"Then why did you do it?" Hinata's question seemed to be that final push that forced all the pent up frustration from her little sister.

"W-why?" she asked, not believing what she was hearing from Hinata of all people. "God, oneesan, don't you see why?" Hanabi knew she was making a scene, but she could no longer hold it down. "They sold you out! They sell you out to this– this old man, and you sit here all cosy with him!" Hanabi did not care that Kakashi heard everything she said. She wanted him to hear. She will not show any respect to the man just because of Hinata's misplaced sense of gratitude. How could her neesan stand being a hostage in that house? Hanabi had so much to tell her sister, but all the thoughts jumbled in her head, resulting in only one question. "Why?"

Why was her older sister so forgiving? Not only with Kakashi, but with everyone else too. Hinata just didn't seem to be able to stand up for herself sometimes. First Neji and Father, now Kakashi. Someone always bullies her, abusing her gentle nature. And one time she actually defended herself turned out to be a pivotal one – her relationship with Neji had gotten to the point he gave up his life for her. How couldn't neesan see that people will respect you only when you earn it?

Hinata, though, didn't seem to understand her sister this time.

The elder sibling did not want to have a fight with Hanabi the first ten minutes they were together. She understood the girl's anger, but it still hurt hearing her sister call her naive and implying her being too meek to fight.

"Hanabi," she started, "you don't understand–"

"Yes, I don't understand! I don't understand how my sister could be so weak!" she blurted out, immediately regretting her words.

Hinata's expression showed hurt for a moment, before she once again donned a strict mask.

"Regardless of how weak I am," she said, voice quivering just a little, "you should respect your brother-in-law. I would appreciate it if you apologize."

She was asking her to apologize to Kakashi?! She was hurt and disappointed but once again her precious Kakashi comes first, isn't it? As quickly as the guilt came, it disappeared once Kakashi was mentioned.

"No."

"Hanabi," Hinata started.

"It's fine–" Kakashi decided to interject but was cut short by a stern gaze from his wife.

"I said, NO!" Hanabi yelled, startling everyone. "I'm not going to apologize, I'll never marry some random person, and I'll never be miserable like you!"

Once again, Hanabi's mouth acted before she could think her words through.

Hinata's look suggested that she'd be better off if she were actually slapped. The words hurt more than swords indeed. She couldn't conceal her hurt anymore. One thing they never did was shout at each other. They never yelled, no matter how angry one of them got. And Hanabi always listened to her. Now, it seemed that Hanabi did not even care for her opinion.

Kakashi, who's been witnessing the falling out between the two, finally gave voice. "That's quite enough, Hanabi." Mentally, he was searching for a way to resolve the conflict.

His work seemed cut out for him as Hinata just sat there, shoulders slumped, dinner completely forgotten, the very picture of misery, while Hanabi ran off somewhere, the door audibly slamming after her. Kakashi sighed, he was sure Kushina had it easier with his younger self. Copy Nin didn't know how to comfort the woman even if said woman was his wife, so he did what he always did in unexpected situations where his options were limited and any delay in action resulted in irreparable damage – summoned his ninken. With a poof, all eight of his loyal companions appeared in his guest room.

"Hey boss," Pakkun greeted.

"Pakkun, no time to explain. Need your help."

Pakkun looked around the house, confused, before noticing a young pretty woman sitting on a chair at the table, looking all sad.

"Really, boss?" he asked. "Backup for this?" Asking _dogs_ to help him with a girl had to be a new low for their boss.

"Look, guys," Kakashi addressed the ninja hounds, desperate to chase after Hanabi. "I need your help, keep Hinata some company while I look for her sister, will you?"

"Alright, but we expect an explanation. And a nice big steak." With those words, the whole company trotted towards Hinata. "Hello, my name is Pakkun, would you like to touch my paw?"

'_I am doomed_,' was Kakashi's thought upon hearing how exactly Pakkun planned to keep his wife company. His pads were undoubtedly soft, but it was doubtful that even it would be enough to comfort his wife in her current state.

In the end he resolved to give his canine friends a chance and focus on finding Hanabi. Copy Nin bet that if he got the brat to apologize her older sister won't take long in responding in kind.

If the girl was anything like him, she was probably already regretting what she said, and ran away from her guilt. These kinds of things had happened multiple times with him and Kushina-sama. Of course, he was a bit more dignified and didn't cry while doing so, and he didn't actually run. More like poofed away and hid until the Red Habanero wasn't mad anymore. Which wasn't long, the woman had a heart of gold. Or memory of a fish. One of the two, anyway.

Judging by Hinata's reaction, she wasn't mad either. Therefore, his mission was to convince Hanabi to come back and talk things out with her sister. He sighed, half relieved and half exasperated. The chilly outside wind was like a fresh breath of air after all the drama in his house.

Kakashi sprinted across the village, locked on the now familiar scent of his wife's little sister. He let out a satisfied huff once the wind changed its direction, allowing him a better grasp on the scent.

'_Definitely easier than comforting a woman._'

Hanabi was sitting on a tree branch outside of one of the training grounds. Once she calmed down a little, she reflected upon what had happened. It's all because of him, she thought. She hated him. Hated his stupid mask, his ridiculous hair, his goofy attitude that only appeared when he was trying to be friendly. She hated that he acted all aloof when he was the one responsible for every bad thing happening in Konoha.

Happening to her family.

Hanabi sniffed. She may not know much about Kakashi Hatake, but she heard the adults speak about him. He'd done so many unfair things, like putting people in jail for speaking against Danzou, closing all the newspapers that did so too. He may not be directly killing people, but he was the one giving out orders and controlling the forces. He was the one who gave Danzou all the power, and repeatedly stood aside when the man plunged Konoha into corruption. She may not understand everything, but even she felt that the very atmosphere of the village changed. It became cold, and dark. Civilians were actually _afraid _of shinobi. She couldn't understand how it was possible to make people afraid of the ones who were supposed to protect them. Apparently, with the likes of Kakashi it was easily achievable.

Speak of the devil, she cursed, sensing Kakashi land on the same branch she was on.

"Hey brat," she heard him say once the wood underneath them stopped trembling. "I thought you'd be happy to see your sister after a week of being apart."

"Go away," she sniffled. Of all people to see her like this it got to be him. "How did you even find me?"

"I found long ago that this area of the village is usually very quiet, and this particular tree is a very convenient spot for hiding." He then smiled, adding, "Besides, I have a very keen sense of smell."

"Well, I'm not hiding!"

"Sure you are not."

That annoying eye creasing smile again. Why not get on with it and scold her? Or beat her up? Instead he was standing there and annoying her.

She heard him let out a heavy sigh. A moment and some more shuffling of leaves later, he was sitting right beside her.

"Listen," he told her, "I know that you don't like me"–she snorted–"and I'm sure you know that what you said back there was mean, so why don't we both just agree to behave for Hinata?"

She expected him to be angry. Maybe he was, but he didn't show it. She didn't expect him to accept the situation and move on like he did. She'd be damned if some two-faced jerk acted more mature than her.

"Fine," she replied, wiping her face with her hand. She would've used her sleeve, but her tutors would kill her for ruining her clothes.

Kakashi watched the girl pull herself together and couldn't help but add one more thing.

"You know," he started, looking pointedly at her, "it takes a special brand of strength to forgive. You may think your sister's forgiving nature to be a weakness," he turned his gaze towards the distant horizon, "but to me Hinata is one of the strongest people I know."

Kakashi didn't wait for her response.

With that tentative agreement, the pair went back to the house. Apparently, the time was past the curfew, because some Root agent stopped them and asked for identification. Kakashi just gave him his and they were good to go.

"So, everyone else is not allowed to break the curfew, but you can?" she asked him, bitterly.

"It seems so," was his only reply.

His apathetic tone infuriated her. Why approve of a curfew you are not even following yourself. It was so unfair. She knew that saying anything won't change his mind, so Hanabi just kept quiet until they got home. She chose to prepare her apologies to Hinata instead.

Also, no matter what she told herself, Kakashi's last words before they went back still resonated in her head.

"…_it takes a special brand of strength to forgive…_"

He seemed sincere when speaking those words. Hanabi spied a glance at her companion; Kakashi seemed pensive, if not worried. She decided to file that information for later. It just confused her too much.

They arrived home to an adorable sight of Hinata sitting on the couch with eight eager looking ninja dogs around her. She was absently petting Biscuit when the commotion in the corridor pulled her out of her reverie. She looked up to see Kakashi and Hanabi enter the guest room. His wife smiled at him before giving her sister a hesitant glance. Hanabi looked positively guilty. Now was the time for them to make up, Kakashi decided and left the two alone. He had some business to finish in the study anyway, not to mention a talk with his ninken, who silently followed out after him.

Hinata patted the empty spot on the couch, inviting Hanabi to sit. The girl obeyed. As soon as she touched the soft surface, she started apologizing.

"Oneesan, I'm sorry–" Hanabi felt her big sister's arms wrap around her, preventing her from finishing the apology.

"It's okay, apology accepted." Hinata smiled, and then looked sternly at her sister. "Do you know that running off like that when it is close to curfew could get you in trouble?"

Hanabi didn't know what to say. She hadn't thought about it then. Reflecting on it now, she understood how stupid what she did was. Not only what she said, but what she did after that too. If she got caught and Father learned of it, she would not be allowed to visit Hinata anymore. So, she apologized again, returning the hug.

Later that day, she would recall Hinata's stern and concerned face and hear Kakashi's words.

It takes a special brand of strength to forgive.

* * *

Kakashi picked up that day's newspaper once his ninken were satisfied with his explanation. He remembered seeing a big headline about the explosion and finally had gotten to take a look at the article. He wasn't surprised to see a big part of it dedicated to his beating of an innocent man. Just great. One more act of injustice that the village will hold against him. He rubbed his lower chest, still feeling the tender flesh albeit the sting was much fainter than hours prior. He snorted at the irony of it all.

Kakashi sighed, tossing the damned thing aside. Now he'll definitely have to deal with the newspaper. They just didn't listen to warnings! If things were allowed to go further, it wouldn't take long before Danzou himself takes interest in the matter. And then it's all over for those journalists; they would have more important things to worry about than losing their jobs.

Filling in the search warrant, Kakashi made sure to assign the mildest chunins possible for the mission. All he needed was to confiscate their equipment and printing press; no need to arrest people. He fiddled with his pen, that press might come in handy in the future…

It was only half-past twelve when Kakashi forced himself to go to bed. He did promise to rest more. So far, he thought he was doing well. He did not see Hanabi nor his pack of ninken anywhere in the guestroom. Weird.

Perhaps Hanabi was in the toilet. Deciding to be nice, he put bed sheets and a pillow on the couch for Hanabi to make the bed with, before going to his bedroom. There, he saw Hinata, Hanabi and all eight of his ninken lying on the bed. The dogs and the younger girl were sleeping soundly, all snuggled in one pile around Hinata, while his wife was reading a book. Noticing him, she sent him an apologetic look.

"Guess it's couch for me," he sighed.

Hinata was about to say something, before he raised his hand and stopped her.

"It's fine, I don't mind." He added then, jokingly, "It's just disconcerting that in a house with eight dogs I am the one who ends up in the doghouse."

His wife muffled a giggle at his lame joke. Satisfied, Kakashi went to prepare for the night. He managed to receive his daily fix of Hinata's laughter. He could swear it was the only thing keeping him going nowadays, with all the bullshit he got at work from ninja and civilians alike. Konoha's prominent clans seemed to be especially out for his blood. He knew that it's what one gets when he turns the whole village against them, but still, did Tsume Inuzuka have to call him names every time they met? At least others were a bit more discreet with their insults and threats.

He was glad that not much time managed to pass after Danzou took control, because the system had not completely rotted away. The change was happening gradually, but with every new inhumane law passing, every act of corruption, every injustice towards civilians, the situation was getting worse and worse. It layered, starting from the very top of their government and slowly going lower and lower. In a few years time, _just _removing Danzou won't be enough to salvage Konoha.

He knew that it wouldn't be long until Konoha returned to those dark warmongering times much like during his childhood, maybe even worse, Sandaime and Danzou's childhood. The mere thought of his village plunging into a chaos like that caused a shiver to pass down his spine. This time, though, it would be him and Danzou who caused this, not the state of a corrupted world.

Leaving the bathroom, Kakashi passed by the bed towards the guest room where his couch was located. He noticed his wife was now sleeping too. He tried to imagine someone like himself at her age cuddled to their little brother or sister. Needless to say, that picture didn't feel quite right. Shinobi from his time were killing machines, sheltering away their emotions in the name of their village and Hokage. Now, shinobi like Hinata or Sakura or Naruto were a welcomed oddity rather than a seemingly impossible stupidity. For someone, there is no difference, but for the Copy Nin it made all the difference in the world.

The next generation must always surpass the previous, both in power and character. Even if just a little, Kakashi would still consider it a success.

And he will do everything in his power to make sure this simple truth stays that way.

* * *

**So, the younger sister makes an appearance.**

**Read and enjoy. Or not. Up to you. But if you do think it's bad, tell me why so I could prevent any mistakes from happening in the future.**

**Thanks again.**

**Edit: I just saw my chapter and cringed at all the mistakes I found. I will be extra careful to prevent such blunders in the future. Next chapter, as always, will come out Friday to Sunday.**

**Sorry for this "update".**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Hinata watched Hanabi happily munch on the grilled fish and rice they had for breakfast (they felt traditional this morning). It was the beginning of their two days together, so naturally both sisters were excited. Hanabi looked like she was dying to say something, and Hinata smiled at her sister's inquisitiveness; it felt like they were back at the compound, stealing moments to hide from tutors to gossip.

"Say," Hanabi started, eyes innocent, "what happened to Naruto?"

Alright, that was not what Hinata wanted to talk about first thing in the morning.

"He is in prison…" she said, feeling the guilt come back full force.

"I know that he's in prison. What I mean is, I thought you loved him?"

Now that was a topic she found even harder to talk about.

"I thought so too," Hinata replied, watching the tea swirl in her cup. "And I told him as much, but…"

"He doesn't feel the same?" her sister finished.

Hinata shook her head. "Didn't even give a reply." She took a sip of her drink. "But it was war, so…"

It was foolish to believe that Naruto would have any feelings for her. After all, he's never shown any inclination to that regarding her person.

"So, you are, like, open to other options? Back on the market?"

The older Hyuga choke on her drink, almost spilling everything all over. "What?" was the only coherent thing she managed to cough up.

"I mean that you are no longer obsessed with Naruto."

Hinata thought on it for a moment. Were her feelings towards Naruto the same as they were a year ago? The answer came unsurprisingly fast. She still admired him; those feelings didn't go anywhere. But admiration and respect did not mean love.

"I guess not," Hinata finally replied, feeling strangely calm about her revelation. She guessed it was because the change in her affections had been gradual and didn't hit her out of the blue. "Wait, why do you think I was obsessed with Naruto?"

Hanabi just gave her a meaningful look, as if asking if she were serious.

The two let out a chuckle at that, going back to their meals. The heaviness, however, lingered in Hinata's heart. She wondered how Naruto was now. Even if she no longer had a crush on him, he was still her friend. And even if he explicitly told them not to worry, she still felt like she wasn't doing enough to help him. Kakashi promised that he would look after his student but seeing as he was neck-deep in Danzou's business, she wasn't sure that he had the clearance to do so.

Hanabi saw the melancholy expression glaze over her sister's face. The girl continued their chatter in an attempt to distract her sister from any thoughts that were so obviously troubling her. She had already succeeded in bringing Hinata out of her mood, when Kakashi finally woke up.

Copy Ninja stretched, awakened by Hanabi's loud voice. Looking at the clock, he nearly sprung from his place until he remembered what day it was. Today was his 'day off'. Of course, it wasn't a completely free day; he had a meeting shceduled, but still.

"Good morning," his wife paused the conversation she was having with Hanabi.

"Morning," he replied, stretching. That couch was not a comfortable place to sleep on.

Hanabi just sat there, glaring at him, which Kakashi suspected will become the usual from this point. Getting up he made sure to pat her on the head before going to get ready for the day. "Good morning to you too, Hanabi-chan." Girl bristled and covered her head with her hands, still glaring. Kakashi knew she didn't like it, which was precisely why he made a point to do it. Hinata seemed amused by all of it, which was yet another reason for his motivation.

After a short but hearty breakfast where Kakashi masterfully dodged all of Hanabi's attempts to see his face (for someone who hated his guts she sure was nosy), they all went to the private training area at the back of the house for some practice. Personal training site was one of the pros to having a high position in the village government.

Hinata thought Hanabi wouldn't be very fond of that part of their arrangement, but her sister surprised her by actually looking excited. She was practically bouncing with energy, eager to flaunt her Hyuga skills, Hinata guessed. Sometimes her little sister was a bit of a show-off.

The morning was perfect for training. Winter was never harsh in Konoha, but todays weather seemed to be particularly kind. Kakashi even pointed out so, before ushering them to begin. He largely left them to their own devices during the warmup, no need to teach anything as basic as that. Although Hinata kept catching Kakashi's glances, as if her husband was discreetly observing them. Once or twice their eyes met, and everytime she would make sure to give him a smile. He always responded in kind.

"Alright," Kakashi declared their warmup to be finished after some time into their session, "I don't really see anything wrong in your forms and techniques yet. So how about we spar, Hanabi-chan?" He then smiled, turning to Hinata, "that is, dear wife, if you do not object. It would be a great way to determine where Hanabi-chan stands in terms of skill and training."

"Not at all," Hinata easily agreed.

It would be beneficial for her and especially for Hanabi. She didn't mind observing, but she would like to spar with her husband as well. Not every day you get a chance for a personal training session with the legendary Copy Ninja. It didn't matter that he lost the Sharingan, he was still an elite.

Hinata seated herself several feet away from where Kakashi and Hanabi were going to spar. The two stood on the opposite sides of the training ground. Hanabi was calm and focused, Hinata knew, like a snake before it jumps her pray. Kakashi, on the other hand, looked disinterested, almost bored. Hinata figured he either wanted to tick Hanabi off or it was his usual expression in situations like this. Probably both.

"Aaand, we start," Kakashi lazily declared, not moving from his spot at all. Hanabi did the same. After a few moments of them both not doing anything, Kakashi raised his brow.

"You know," he said, "you are not going to see what you are capable of if you don't do anything."

"Who told you I'm not doing anything," Hanabi replied hotly.

"I don't need to be told what I can see for myself."

"I am waiting for your move, genius."

"It could be a viable strategy in a real battle," Kakashi agreed, "but when you are sparring, especially with someone for the first time, it is better if you attack head on. Come on," he encouraged, "You can use whatever weapon, jutsu, or fighting technique you want."

"Why don't you attack then?" Hanabi argued. "You should follow your own advice."

"I don't need to know what I am capable of against you, but you need to see what you can do against a stronger opponent." He paused for a moment. "Think of it as when you are handing in your assignment to a tutor. You don't wait for him to ask for it, do you? You just give it so that he can evaluate and give you your mark."

Hanabi stood, contemplating his words for a second or two, before readying for an attack with a determined nod. Kakashi seemed glad that the girl listened to his advice. There was no point in her to be on the defensive, since he was trying to see what she was capable of doing. Perhaps later, when he is more familiar with the way she fought, he could see how she conducted herself in a real battle scenario. As for now, he was happy to dodge and deflect her incoming attacks.

Hinata observed the fight. Hanabi has improved markedly during these years. All of them had. Speed and finesse always were Hyugas' strongest traits, allowing them to excel in both defense and offense. However, Kakashi was on a whole new level. He was practically dancing around his opponent, much to her irritation. Her sister kept her expression calm, but Hinata knew that beneath was a pool of growing exasperation. Hanabi never liked when her opponents refused to fight back. She calls it dishonorable. Hinata calls it smart. Kakashi calls it standard tactics. Hinata noticed that even though Kakashi was pulling his punches, he didn't seem to be holding back as obviously as her tutors did.

"You are too focused on outsmarting me," Copy Nin said, ignoring Hanabi's feint in favor of dealing a blow of his own. Unlike her, his hit was very much real, sending her toppling a few meters. "This spar is all about fighting, so you need to be able to think fast."

Hanabi, who'd fallen on the ground from Kakashi's last attack, immediately stood up, frustration clear on her face. Determination was something the girl had in abundance, and she continued displaying it throughout their fight. Her opponent, in contrast, just slouched lazily, having not moved at all. He seemed content lecturing her.

"Your chakra gives away your intentions," he casually observed, sidestepping her charge while pushing her forward at the same time, effectively sending her stumbling to another end of the field. "Keep it even, you can't trick me if I know exactly when you are going to strike."

There was no patronizing, no demeaning indulgence – just hard honesty. If there was one thing Hanabi respected it was honesty. She began panting from all the exertion, having been tossed and pushed all over the grounds, but refused to let her failures affect her judgement. Hanabi closed her eyes for a few moments, catching her breath and concentrating. If she kept her chakra steady, Kakashi won't be able to deduce whether she was going to attack or fake. Absently, she was more than impressed with the man's combat skills. Even without the Sharingan he seemed able to predict her next move just as fine. With an audible exhale, she moved once again to attack her opponent.

Kakashi moved precisely at the speed required of him to dodge or parry Hanabi's strikes, nothing more, nothing less. Even though he repelled her next attack just as easily as all the previous ones, Copy Ninja noticed that this time the spikes in Hanabi's chakra whenever she moved were significantly less noticeable. The brat was learning fast.

Hinata, who watched the battle, also noticed the change in her sister's approach. She silently rooted for Hanabi but was pretty sure that there was no way Kakashi would lose to a genin.

As their spar progressed, Hinata noticed that Kakashi had also changed the way he fought. After a few more minutes of his initial evasive tactics, Copy Nin decided to go on the offensive. He started to increasingly throw in punches of his own, forcing Hanabi to defend. After one of her successful dodges, Kakashi made himself look vulnerable, baiting his opponent to retaliate. He then utilised his opening to launch a surprise attack, quickly ducking behind her. While doing so he squatted for some reason and joined his thumbs, index and middle fingers in a characteristic tiger seal. During all of this he managed to call out the name of his technique.

"Thousand years of pain!" Hinata heard him shout at the same time while performing said jutsu.

Hinata didn't have time to ponder on what kind of jutsu had only one hand seal. She barely had enough time to note that there was no way Hanabi will allow him to perform a jutsu up so close, fast hand sealing or not. That was before she saw just what exactly was that jutsu of Kakashi's. Her husband was indeed deranged, Hinata deadpanned, thinking on what Kiba said to her before. For there was no way a sane person would come up with something so ridiculous and give it such a dramatic name. Luckily, Hanabi managed to react and dodge just in time. It did nothing to prevent Hinata from deducing where Kakashi was aiming with his 'technique', though. Her sister also seemed to get the purpose of the move. She blushed heavily and sprang back away several meters from Kakashi as if scalded.

"What are you doing, you pervert?!" she screeched, hands balled into fists.

"Not bad, not bad," her husband hummed, unfazed, stroking his chin. "You managed to dodge."

He thought about Naruto, who couldn't dodge it at her age. So far, he was impressed. However, his pleased expression did not do him justice in his young opponent's eyes. It looked like he was making fun of her. Which he clearly wasn't, by the way.

"I'll show you not bad!"

With a snarl, Hanabi sprinted towards the masked man, intent to kill or at least inflict severe bodily harm clear on her face. Kakashi changed his stance. It seemed familiar to Hinata, until she realized it was a slightly modified version of Hyuga Gentle Fist. He parried all her sister's attacks using exactly the same moves, mirroring his opponent. He even threw some punches of his own. This time he didn't hold back as much.

Hinata now realized that being a show-off was something her sister shared with Kakashi. The woman had to admit that it was impressive, though; not many people outside of her clan were able to adequately use Gentle Fist.

Needless to say, the fight was over quickly. Hanabi was barely standing, her arms uselessly hanging at her sides. She couldn't move from exhaustion and chakra block. It seemed twenty minutes at top speed was her limit. '_Not so bad_,' Kakashi thought, overall impressed by her skills and stamina.

"You can lie down," he ordered her. "No point in standing when you obviously cannot continue."

Hanabi looked like she wanted to argue, but promptly decided against it and plopped down on the ground.

"Can you stop copying others?" she accused, vexed. "Don't you have a style of your own?"

"I do have my own techniques." He smiled. "Why, just now I demonstrated Village's Most Secret and Sacred Technique: One Thousand Years of–"

He was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. "Dear husband," he heard Hinata call behind him, voice sounding a tad bit too sweet and expression strangely frightening despite her saccharine smile. "An interesting technique you demonstrated there. Quite dangerous, too. Luckily, Hanabi-chan could dodge in time."

Kakashi turned around and gulped. Somehow, he was sure that 'dangerous' and 'luckily' meant for him, and not Hanabi. Hinata might have been smiling sweetly, but underneath, all he could see was righteous fury.

"A-anyways," he cleared his throat, turning back towards Hanabi. He absently noted that his wife would've looked even more attractive when angry had that anger not been directed at him. "I defeated you in your own discipline."

He knew that gloating was childish, but he wanted to divert Hinata's attention, so he prayed that Hanabi would fall for his bait.

"You changed it!" her answer wasn't long in coming, of which Kakashi was glad.

"I _improved _it," he said.

"No, you didn't!"

"Yes, I did."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Then why are you lying on the ground and I am not?" It was so much fun, Kakashi thought, as Hanabi sputtered incoherently.

Hinata shook her head. Watching these two argue was like watching siblings who always annoyed the hell out of each other. It was adorable in a way. Finally, she decided to interrupt, sparing her sister from further teasing. It was clear her husband enjoyed it a bit too much.

"Alright, Hanabi-chan, that's enough," she told her, helping her up. "You should admit that you lost."

Hanabi's attitude turned 180 degrees, as she obediently looked at Hinata.

"I know," she said somewhat guiltily, before pointing at Kakashi with an indignant tone, "but he is being annoying."

"I see you can move your arms again." Kakashi observed innocently, seemingly glad that function returned to her arms.

"Shut up! You should be ashamed of yourself, bragging about defeating a genin. You have like, fifty years of experience over me!"

"I am not that old," he deadpanned.

"Sure, Mr. Gray-hair."

"I'll have you know that it's silver, not gray. It is associated in some countries with calmness, balance, logic and skill," he grouched, making Hinata giggle; she shouldn't have given him their girly magazines to read. "Seriously, though, I do believe that there was no way for you to win. I just wanted you to realize that. Humility is one of the most important qualities a ninja can have. I wanted to make sure you understand that."

He looked at Hanabi. Arrogance was dangerous in their occupation, he wanted her to realize it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Hanabi seemed fond of skipping from one extreme to another.

"I get it," she sighed, crestfallen, kicking a piece of earth from underneath. "I'm weak."

"No. You are not weak. _I am_ stronger." Kakashi walked up to Hanabi and gave her his hand; index and middle fingers outstretched in the traditional peace sign. "You are strong, Hanabi-chan. Do not ever doubt that. Besides, strength isn't the only important quality," he smiled, repeating Hanabi's own words spoken to her Father long time ago, that he heard from Hinata.

Hanabi looked at his sign of reconciliation. She couldn't understand this man. He was supposed to be an uncaring bastard, but here he was, treating her as an equal. He should be cruel and ruthless, but he was virtually the first adult who never looked down on her and her sister. In fact, he seemed to be treating Hinata with far more affection than she would've expected. Last night, before going to sleep, Hinata-neesan talked with her about him. She didn't get it then. Now, she thought that she began to understand what her sister meant. Kakashi clearly was not who she thought he was. And if neesan believed in this man, then she should give him a chance too. The unison sign was a sign of respect between fellow opponents. So Hanabi reciprocated the gesture.

"It's not like I respect you or anything," she felt the need to say. "I just didn't want to leave you hanging like that."

Hinata looked at the heartwarming scene before her. Despite what her sister said, it was clear that Kakashi did gain some respect in her eyes. She hoped the talk they had last night had helped. Kakashi seemed surprised too, but in a good way. Hinata was sure she saw him grin underneath that mask.

"Alright!" he exclaimed, excited. "Now we can go over some exercises I think would help you, Hanabi-chan. I already devised a schedule. Today and tomorrow we can do the practice and you can ask any questions. Next week, we will–"

"Hold your horses, old man," she stopped him. "You must spar with neechan too."

Kakashi turned to Hinata, realization dawning. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Got carried away a little."

If she were completely honest, Hinata didn't mind. Her husband looked so eager to teach Hanabi. Not to mention that the girl herself would've benefited immensely from his training.

'_He must really miss having a student_,' she thought.

"It's okay, we can quickly spar now," Hinata said with a smile. "Then you can show us those exercises of yours, and we can ask questions as you planned."

"Thank you, dear wife."

Something in his tone felt warm and familiar. Like he really meant each word he said. Hinata felt her cheeks heat up, and quickly rushed to her intended spot at the sparring field. Why did she seem to take so much pleasure from his happiness?

"Yeah! Neechan, kick his butt!" Hanabi cheered in the meantime, seemingly oblivious to her revelations.

"I will probably lose just as badly," Hinata smiled, recovering from her embarrassment.

"No way! I bet you can punch him at least."

"Your confidence in me is reassuring," the woman deadpanned, as if landing one punch was much of an achievement.

Then again, against someone like Kakashi it might very well be.

"Before we start," Kakashi said turning to the younger Hyuga, "Hanabi-chan, you must watch closely. I want you to look for any mistakes any of us makes, and I want you to think on how they could have been avoided. It is important to critically analyze your battles to improve. One good battle analysis gives you as much insight as tens of spars."

Hanabi didn't look particularly convinced, but nodded in agreement nonetheless.

With that, Kakashi and Hinata's own spar has begun. It was Hanabi's turn to observe now, so she activated her Byakugan. It wasn't like it was much of a help when analyzing movements, but she activated it anyway, to at least have a look at what happened to their chakra during the fight. Her sister was strong, so she was sure Kakashi won't have an easy time with her. Indeed, he seemed to be on full alert.

Unlike her, Hinata concealed her chakra fluctuations very well, giving no indication of her next move to her opponent. She also was faster than Hanabi, and her punches packed more power. This fight, by comparison, looked much more even than the previous.

Once again, Kakashi chose to fight in a Gentle Fist style. Despite him using only the basic techniques, he seemed proficient in it so far. Hanabi didn't know why the man decided to use it, but her bet would be that he simply wanted to impress Hinata. She snorted, as if a couple of fancy moves could make her sister instantly admire him. As she was having those thoughts, Kakashi attempted to perform Hyuga's secret technique. It looked like the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, with the exception that Hanabi counted only sixteen hits instead of the standard sixty-four.

Alright, that was impressive, the girl begrudgingly admitted. And although Kakashi couldn't expel chakra from his palms as well as a Hyuga, his precision was good enough to have dealt significant damage to Hinata's tenketsu had she not parried his attacks.

Hanabi couldn't find any mistakes in Hinata's form. In fact, both fighters seemed to be displaying considerable prowess. She wasn't even sure how she was supposed to analyze a fight she could barely keep up with. She noticed, though, that Kakashi's way of Gentle Fist significantly differed than what she was taught. He incorporated various kicks and wasn't beneath grappling with his opponents, the kinds of moves you never see in a traditional Gentle Fist. She guessed it was because unlike Hinata, Kakashi was not a Hyuga, so he couldn't utilise their style to its fullest. Her tutors back at the clan compound would've probably fainted if they saw this spar. It was already sacrilegious to use Gentle Fist outside of the clan, not to mention the way Copy Nin butchered their techniques. The inner rebel in Hanabi was impressed. Those stuck up geezers didn't see further than their outdated traditions anyway, so she continued enjoying the show.

If Hanabi had to describe the fight that unfolded before her eyes she would use word 'awesome'. Neechan was so fast and her movements so graceful. When thinking about Kakashi during the fight, the phrase 'pure skill' came to Hanabi's mind. None of them was holding back in terms of technique, but Kakashi was fighting in an initially disadvantageous situation, since it was a taijutsu spar. Hyuga were among the best taijutsu specialists in Konoha, and yet, Kakashi did not even look like he was struggling. Her Byakugan did not see him infusing chakra in his palms like Hyuga usually do. That means he was matching her sister's punches with his sheer physical strength alone. Moreover, who knew how fast he actually was at his top speed... If she were to be honest, Hanabi thought her neesan's husband was terrific.

All the stranger his lack of fight against Danzou. Hinata was definitely right – there was something they didn't know about the man.

Twenty or so more minutes of intense fighting, and Hinata started to show signs of fatigue. Not to mention all the hits that grazed her starting to make their presence known.

'_I cannot keep this up for long,_' she thought.

She needed to either find an opening that allowed her to win, or lose trying. Kakashi didn't even seem to get tired. For all Kurenai-sensei's talk about Kakashi's stamina being his biggest weakness, she wasn't noticing it. If this is bad by elite shinobi standards, she thought, then her own stamina was downright abysmal. And he wasn't even trying to play mind games he was so famous for. He was just simply trying to beat her up, and succeeding, if the pain all over her body was any indication.

Hinata jumped just in time to dodge his sweeping kick but couldn't do anything else as she had to immediately block his follow up attack. He threw punches relentlessly, not giving her any time to recover. The speed and power in his hits never decreasing since the start of the spar. If anything, his attacks had become more intense! Feeling her arms start to get heavy from all the abuse they were taking, Hinata waited for a perfect opportunity to present itself. She knew it was unlikely, but there was no other way for her to win. Besides, she had a plan. Well, sort of.

If she couldn't hit without being hit herself, then so be it. She decided to exchange blows with him. Already figuring out the rhythm of his punches by this point, she was fairly sure she would be able to hit him if she took one blow herself. The only problem was catching the perfect timing to deliver her punch. For all his holding back strategy-wise, he did not hold back in terms of the way he fought. He fought her with the same speed and power as he would've fought an enemy shinobi. She suspected because he valued the training itself rather than winning, so his priorities were different in a spar. He didn't use moves that would give him a quick victory, opting for experimenting and testing his limits instead. She was a bit disappointed that he took it easy on her, but she understood that it was necessary. If he fought to his fullest, she wouldn't stand a chance, she knew it. She only hoped that this tendency won't last long, and she would be able to spar with him on equal grounds soon.

She patiently endured for when his attacks became predictable, preferably with a combination of straightforward punches. Her resilience was rewarded as Kakashi seemed to decide to do a succession of quick basic moves in an attempt to wear her defense down. Little did he know that she wasn't even going to defend.

'_Gotcha!_'

Hinata put all her remaining power in her chakra infused attack and threw one last punch aimed squarely at his chest. She, in turn, took a hit to the face. It didn't matter though, for she felt her palm cleanly connect with its target.

Hanabi saw the two exchange blows and fly about eight meters away from each other in opposite directions. Their fall raising dust clouds from the ground. Young Hyuga immediately stood up and ran to her sister at one side of the field.

"Neechan!" she called, approaching to where Hinata had landed.

There lay her sister, with an area around her eye rapidly bruising, and a triumphal grin on her face. Hanabi helped her stand up, and together they went to check on Kakashi who was on the other side. Apparently, he was able to get back up by himself.

And immediately fall afterwards.

"That's going to leave a black eye," he commented, pointing at her bruise, before swaying and dropping on the ground.

"Kakashi!"

The two sisters rushed to his side, Hinata immediately noticing how he was clutching his chest in pain. She frowned, remembering how he did virtually the same a day prior.

"Take off your shirt," she ordered, no longer accepting 'no' for an answer.

Why didn't she insist on checking his chest when something definitely appeared to be wrong a day ago? He shrugged her concerns off, but still, she was the one who had medical knowledge. She should've pressed the issue then. Her mental berating of herself was stopped short when Kakashi finally removed his shirt.

"It's fine," Kakashi said, as if they were blind and couldn't see that it was quite clearly not 'fine'. "I used chakra to absorb most of the damage. It's just a little sore."

The only thing that was 'just a little' was widening of both girls' eyes at what they saw.

There was a very nasty looking bruise just under his chest. It looked like it hurt, and Hinata couldn't help but wonder what kind of injury the man had gotten himself before sparring with them. Since the bruise was already fully formed, it was unlikely that he got it from her.

"Your rib is cracked!" Hinata exclaimed, infusing healing chakra to his chest, soothing the pain and reducing inflammation. "It looks like it's not as bad as it seems, though, like it had been healed with chakra before…"

Suddenly, Hinata remembered healing a man who Kakashi beat up after the explosion incident. His injury was similar, located in exactly the same region as Kakashi's was now...

"It can't be," Hinata murmured, trying to bring those events back to memory, connecting the dots.

Sakura was acting weird that day, she remembered. That ninja she healed, he left a string of purple patch behind. Sakura told her to keep it, and it must've been for a reason. Hinata fished in her pockets, pulling out the purple thing. She saw recognition flicker in Kakashi's eyes when he saw it, only proving her suspicions.

"Are you– you–" she sputtered, bewildered. "Are you serious?!"

Kakashi kept silent, looking at the purple patch in his wife's hand. He was certain that she'd put two and two together and he was busted.

"What? What's going on?" Hanabi questioned, agitated. Clearly, the girl didn't like to be out of the loop.

Hinata seemed too shocked to say anything, her gaze jumping from her husband to her hand with the piece of evidence in it. Thus, the explanation falls to Kakashi.

"Hanabi-chan," he started, licking his lips, "did you know there was an explosion a couple of days ago?"

"Of course I know!" she responded, offended. "It's been the subject of village talk since the word came out that you beat some guy up."

"Yeah..." Copy Nin confirmed, "but you see, I didn't beat anyone."

Hanabi didn't look convinced. It was in a newspaper afterall.

"I mean I did beat someone up, but it was me," Kakashi corrected lamely, fearing that Hanabi was thinking him crazy now. "Yeah, I beat myself. You see, the man I punched was the real me, while the Kakashi everyone saw was my Shadow Clone," he explained.

He spied a glance at his wife, seeing that her shock had subsided by this point.

"You mean to tell us that you staged everything?!" Hanabi asked, incredulous.

Kakashi gave a nod in affirmative. Absently, he noticed that the pain in his chest had lessened. Evidently, Hinata's medical ninjutsu skills were more than adequate.

Even though she had already figured it out, hearing Kakashi confirm it still hit her like a ton of bricks. She was shocked, and she wasn't sure if it was more in a good way than bad. On one hand, Kakashi wasn't a ruthless bandit who beat people into submission. On the other, he was a selfless madman, willing to inflict harm upon himself to protect others.

"Wait, what this purple thingy is about?" Hanabi asked.

Hinata too, wanted to know. It was pretty mysterious.

"I put these on my face to conceal my scar," Kakashi readily replied. "So that there is nothing that can give away that it's me in disguise."

Hinata found herself agreeing with him. She didn't even recognize that the man whose injuries she tended to back there was her husband. But more importantly...

"I don't care what everyone says about you. You are a hero," Hinata said with absolute conviction.

At her words Kakashi felt warmth spread all over his chest. Or maybe it was the effect of her jutsu? Nevertheless, he couldn't stop the grin from spreading on his face.

"Thank you," he said, locking eyes with her, feeling lighter than ever.

Just looking in those gleaming orbs made Kakashi feel like he could accomplish anything.

They sat like that for a good five minutes when Hanabi finally snapped them from their trance.

"How about we discuss the training?" she asked gently, the knowledge imparted upon her today made an impression on her as well. She began viewing Kakashi in a whole new light.

"I think I'm an unworthy sparring partner," Hinata said, surprised at the dejectedness in her voice. She meant it as a joke to lighten the mood.

"You did manage to land a hit on me," Kakashi also recovered. "Not to mention your good thinking and flawless technique."

Kakashi was grateful of Hanabi for her change of topic. Despite them supporting him, Kakashi didn't want to discuss the explosion incident. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, sis, you were amazing!"

Their encouragement seemed to work, as Hinata cheered up slightly. If not reassured, then at least touched by the kind words.

"But still," she said, disappointment still lingering, "you were holding back."

"I know. But even my sensei held back on me. It is essential for us to learn. I tried to fight as evenly as possible, because I believe that we learn best when we face opponents of equivalent strength or slightly stronger."

"Really?" she asked, voice unsure. "That's an awfully specific criteria you have."

"Of course!" Kakashi went on, not realizing his wife was joking. "When I was a kid at the academy, Lord Sandaime used to come visit for training sessions. He sparred with everyone, including me. Do you think he didn't hold back?"

"That's totally different!" his wife chuckled. "How can you expect Hokage to fight seriously with a bunch of kids?"

"But he did fight seriously," Kakashi argued. "He didn't fight at his fullest, sure, but if you think he ever lost a single spar against me you are mistaken. He fought at the same level as me, and he always won. Sure, it may be disrespectful to give victory away on purpose, but it is even more disrespectful to spar with your opponent without intending to make them better. My losses always were different. He made sure I learned something from each spar, even though he clearly held back."

Hinata laughed again. "Somehow, I have a feeling you gave Hokage-sama more trouble than he bargained for." She imagined Sandaime having to actually concentrate fighting against a 5-year-old kid.

"What can I say?" Kakashi shrugged. "I was a special kid."

"And humble, too," added Hanabi, which made both adults laugh, while Hanabi herself cracked a slight smile.

* * *

The lunch passed over enthusiastic conversation. It was Hanabi and Hinata who did most of the talking, but Kakashi tried to participate as well. Hanabi for her part, was talking incessantly, jumping from one topic to another, clearly wanting to discuss anything and everything with her sister. Hinata happily indulged. She knew that back at the clan compound Hanabi didn't have anyone who she could freely turn to, so she had a lot of things pent up she wanted to talk about. Weather, Hyuga household, food, Hinata and her team's adventures – they talked about it all.

Kakashi found it hard to follow the two, as their conversations were always filled with inside jokes, but he made sure to drop in a word or two whenever he had an opinion.

"You, know, sis," Hanabi suddenly said, changing the topic of conversation once again, "I wish I had a team like yours. It sure sounds like a lot of fun," she sighed, dejected, her voice trailing off at the end.

Hanabi looked pensive, all her spirit suddenly vanishing. Hinata didn't know what to say. How do you comfort a person in a situation like this? She understood that since her sister was a clan heir, Father did not allow her to go on missions. Because of her status she never had a genin team, nor any friends outside Hyuga clan, so she never experienced that camaraderie with other ninja. She never traveled anywhere outside Konoha.

The life of an heiress of a great clan is that of a caged bird.

Once again, guilt swarmed Hinata. If she were stronger, she would have been chosen an heir, and Hanabi would have all the freedom in the world. Her sister was strong, and Hinata knew that she had long since came to terms with her situation, but just thinking about how much happier she could be if only Hinata was competent enough…

Hanabi looked at Hinata sternly. "Neechan, you aren't blaming yourself again, are you?"

"I'm sorry, Hanabi," her big sister replied, voice laden with guilt. "I cannot help but think that if I were better…"

"And what would it have changed? I would be in your place instead." Hanabi looked at her disbelievingly. Kakashi visibly shuddered at the picture. "You do realize that your life was just as hard, maybe harder?"

Noting her sister's silence, Hanabi rose from the table and came up to Hinata, hugging her.

"Hinata-oneesan, I don't blame you for anything. You are my sister and my best friend. If anything, it's me who should be apologizing," she told her softly.

"What do you have to apologize for, silly?" a strained chuckle escaped Hinata's lips. She fiercely hugged her little sister back.

"You know, for taking Father's attention and making you feel neglected and stuff." Hanabi wasn't very good with sentiments. Nevertheless, she tried her best to convey her feelings.

Kakashi couldn't possibly relate to the girls, but he understood. It was indeed a terrible thing to be a prisoner within your own village. '_How many childhoods has this village ruined?_' he asked himself, thinking of Naruto, Sasuke, Hanabi and Hinata. He himself did not have a great life, but he at least had a taste of the bliss that was being a child. Long ago, when his dad was still revered by everyone, and life was simple and everything so much brighter. These girls, he saw now, had no such experience. Constantly monitored by the adults, with elevated expectations pressing on their minds and souls. He was a genius, having great expectations was a given in his case and he didn't mind. He didn't have much of a life after his teammates died anyway, so burying himself in work and training was a way to escape for him. These girls were different though – they had to work hard every day with no reward but the satisfaction for managing to meet the adults' unrealistic goals.

'_It may be too late for me, but it's not late for them_.'

With newfound resolve, Kakashi swore to give Hanabi a taste of carefree childhood. Hinata was not a child anymore, but she would enjoy it with Hanabi too. He will make sure of it, he decided, adding the vow to his long list of promises he intended to keep. Now he just needed to think. Once again, he thanked his brain for its ability to come up with solid ideas in times of great stress.

"Hanabi-chan," he approached tentatively. "Am I right to assume that you never left the borders of Konoha?"

"So what?" was her defensive answer. It seemed her tone when talking to him was either that or contemptuous.

"I just have a short diplomatic mission in Suna in two days, thought that I could take you with me. You know, for training purposes."

Hanabi looked at him, many different emotions passing behind her big eyes which were so alike to her sister's. There were initial surprise and contemplation, he noticed, then fleeting happiness, with her finally settling for disbelief.

"And what's it to you? Why are you suddenly suggesting it?" she questioned, suspicious.

Kakashi looked at Hinata for approval. A beaming expression from her was answer enough. Reassured, he feigned a heavy, sad sigh.

"I get lonely on missions. Thought since you are my sister now, you could keep me some company."

"Eww!" Hanabi shrieked. "Don't ever say that, I don't need to be reminded if I can help it."

"It was just a suggestion," he continued, with the same nonchalant tone. "But if you don't want to go it's fine. It's for a few days anyway, and you have important lessons to attend to."

Hanabi could refuse as much as she wanted, but Kakashi wasn't friends with Gai and had Naruto and _Sasuke_ _freaking Uchiha_ for students for nothing. Between getting himself out of Gai's more ridiculous challenges and convincing his students to anything, Hanabi's argument was child's play. She was already interested from the beginning, now all he had to do was create pressure on her by retracting his offer, and give her an alternative that was much worse, such as spending a week studying boring lessons instead of traveling with him to Suna. Judging by her wishful expression, Kakashi had no doubt she would crack.

"Hanabi-chan, I think you should go. It would mean a lot to me if you spent some time with Kakashi," Hinata provided additional help, gently nudging her sister.

"Fine," Hanabi finally grunted, as if she were doing him the biggest of favors by agreeing. "Since you are so obviously desperate, and sister taught me to get along with family, no matter how annoying they are…" that last part she quietly muttered so that Hinata couldn't hear, before continuing, "I'll go with you to your stupid trip." She crossed her arms. "Here, happy now?"

Kakashi shared a conspiratorial smile with his wife.

"Thanks, kid," he told her, standing up from the table and ruffling her hair. "Don't worry about your dad, I'll handle him. In the meantime, I am afraid I must leave your presence. I have some important matters to attend to. Have a nice day."

"Make sure not to strain yourself anymore, your injury is still fresh!" Hinata said after him. "And don't forget to apply the ointment. It will soothe pain and reduce inflammation."

"Stop mothering him, oneesan. He is a grown man," Hanabi admonished.

With those words, and the ladies' goodbyes (he would like to think that Hanabi's glare was affectionate), he left the two to have some girl time together. He did have an important meeting; one he couldn't be late for. Its outcome could determine the near future of Konoha, and he needed to plan his further actions accordingly.

'_I wish I didn't have to deal with those people_' he thought, leaving the house, whatever good mood he had before instantly vanishing. Mere thought of having to discuss his village's affairs with those scum caused him a headache.

He sniffed the crisp afternoon air.

'_I also wish I took a shower,_' he added as an afterthought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

Kakashi sat in the conference room of the Hokage's Tower, never in his life he had such a strong desire to be anywhere else but _not_ there. Spending hours upon hours with those people was maddening. Two others were sitting on both sides from him in front of Danzou's desk. One of them, Hageshi Hikohiro, a fat and pursy man, whose only asset for Danzou was his money. He was a civilian merchant with dubious reputation, but due to a fortunate streak of events became Danzou's personal purse. Hageshi got exclusive contracts on Konoha projects, which allowed him to quickly become rich and rise as a prominent figure in Fire Country's business. The fact that his money was effectively stolen from Konoha goes without saying.

Hageshi was as cowardly as he was ruthless and arrogant, which made him easy to control, a perfect ally for a control freak such as Danzou. However, even Danzou's patience was wearing thin, as Hageshi became increasingly more confident, his self-conceit outweighing his fear of Danzo on some minor occasions. Kakashi suspected it won't be long until the man is removed from Danzou's inner circle. Still, he posed a significant problem until then. Kakashi heard that Hageshi was monopolizing numerous fields of business in Fire Country, aggressively buying out smaller companies. Those who refused to yield were mysteriously found missing or dead not long after. Despite the antimonopoly laws he was able to escape justice, probably due to bribing officials and Danzou's protection. Kakashi had to deal with the man before his corruption caused too much damage to his village's economy.

"Danzou-sama," Hageshi started, sounding as feeble as always, "about the Hyuga business…"

"I have already told you, Hageshi, Hyuga is one of Konoha's biggest assets."

"But–"

"Will ya shut up already," drawled another figure, who up until this point had been quiet. "You wanna deal with Hyugas, go do it yourself. Oh, I forgot, you are a useless piece of shit who can't even throw a kunai to save his life."

The second man who made his voice was a robust looking fellow, whom Kakashi recognized as Kasai Manobu. They'd met before, when he 'supervised' the explosion that shook Konoha both literally and figuratively.

Manobu was a polar opposite to Hageshi in many ways. Unfortunately, in ways that counted the most the two were very much alike. Both did what they did without paying any heed to the suffering they caused others as a result. That alone made the two disgusting in Kakashi's eyes. However, Kasai was considered as a far more of a threat by Kakashi. Even among Root and other mercenaries he was considered as a shinobi of high caliber. A capable ninja, with an impressive set of offensive techniques of high destructive ability. At least, that's what his file read. Kakashi never saw him in battle, but the man held himself with confidence, and his eyes were that of a seasoned killer.

Unlike the rest of the Root, Kasai Manobu was apparently allowed some liberties with his Hokage. He spoke bluntly, treading on disrespect. And although his loyalty was questionable at best, the man was good at what he did. Perhaps that was why Danzou overlooked his attitude. Coupled with his explosive temper, it meant that the only person able to restrain him was the Hokage himself. The man was rude and very dismissive of everyone, especially civilians. Kasai viewed non-ninjas as weak and insignificant. Thus, a man like him in a position of power was a promise of considerable civilian casualties. Thankfully, Danzou was wise enough to keep him as his leutenant, putting his destructive potential to use by distracting him with sabotage missions outside the borders of Fire, or giving him covert work inside the village. Still, with Root's growing influence Kasai posed a major threat as one of its leaders, even though he wasn't officially part of the organization.

"That will be enough, Manobu," Danzou spoke, not thrilled to play the peacemaker between his two subordinates. Seeing as his jaw tightened ever so slightly whenever Kasai opened his mouth, Kakashi could deduce that the man won't be missed by their Hokage if something were to happen to him.

'_Good,_' Kakashi thought, '_it would be easier to get rid of him._'

Weirdly enough, Danzou's former teammates and current council members, Homura and Koharu were not present in the meeting. Kakashi guessed it was because Danzou didn't want the two to know of the things about to be discussed. Old councilors were surprisingly just in most matters, frequently arguing with their Hokage about his policies. Sandaime didn't keep them for nothing, it seemed.

The two were certainly conservative, but they provided a different perspective, which every leader with absolute power needs if they want their rule to be remotely fair. Danzou, however, was not particularly thrilled with having them constantly nag him about every decision he made. Kakashi suspected that today they were planning to get rid of the two, among other things. The question was whether Danzou had enough sentiment left in him to force them to retire, and not kill them. Kakashi's thoughts were disrupted by their Hokage's voice.

"Gentlemen, I called you here to discuss certain matters," he started with his usual slightly hoarse voice, looking as severe as ever. He looked considerably older than before he took his post, heavy bags under his eyes and overall weary appearance. Kakashi sometimes wondered why the man even became Hokage. "First order of business," he said, looking at Kasai, "report, Manobu."

The man addressed grunted in acknowledgement. "Boys and I managed to narrow down the area in which Orochimaru is likely hiding," he said, voice devoid of enthusiasm. "Had to rattle a few places up, but eventually we found some guy who claimed to see the fucker around the mountains to the east. We reckon his hideout is somewhere around there."

"How does someone notice Orochimaru and live to tell the tale?" Kakashi inquired. "He is not the type of a person to live witnesses." Internally he was hoping that they would pursue the Snake Sannin. It would distract Danzou from Sasuke and Tsunade – the ones he should really be afraid of.

"Beats me. The wimp was pretty weak, beggin' for his life, barely started torturing him! Had good stealth skills though. Spent three days tracking him, fucker didn't have any smell and could literally go invisible." Then he smiled, "Was fun gettin' rid of the rat."

Okay, Kakashi thought, understanding why this information was remotely reliable. Doesn't matter how powerful you are, if there is someone who can become virtually insensible you are not going to notice them. And he suspected that Orochimaru in his haste did not have time to take all the precautions. No wonder he was noticed. It was just unlucky for the Snake Sannin that out of all the possibilities, it was a rare shinobi who could mask their scent and become invisible saw him. Kakashi knew from experience that there is no way to find them unless you have a powerful doujutsu, like the Sharingan, or you systematically and continuously search for them, as Kasai and Root did.

"Assuming that he was telling the truth," Danzou said, considering the possibility of a ninja with such stealth skills going unnoticed by the mad Sannin, "I expect you to find Orochimaru's base within the next six months."

"Sure, boss, just remember ta bring as many of your most badassest rooties when you go smoke 'im out. Motherfucker is crazy strong, not to mention just plain crazy."

Kakashi doubted that Orochimaru had much left in him after losing all of his hideouts and surrogate bodies. Nevertheless, he had no desire to share his thoughts.

"Your input is unnecessary, Kasai," Danzou rubbed his eyes, finally tired of the man's vulgarity. "You are dismissed."

Kasai was all too happy to oblige. Sauntering towards the exit, the mercenary threw one last suggestive glance Kakashi's way, before proceeding to leave. Once the door was closed behind the man, Danzou continued.

"Now, about my dear teammates, Homura and Koharu…"

Hageshi, who'd been unnerved by Kasai's presence this whole time, perked up after the man left. It was almost marvelous how his attitude changed when there was no one that he feared around. Too bad for him, Kakashi thought. Danzou did not like when his subordinates feared someone before him.

Observing Hageshi's mousy and sweaty self shuffling about was one of Kakashi's least favorite pastimes. At least when he wasn't scared he spared everyone of this annoying behaviour.

"We can always just kill them," Hageshi said, raising his chubby hand full of jewellery. His short stature and cruel tendencies reminded Kakashi of Gatou. Unlike Gatou, though, Hageshi had no cunning in himself. "I know some guys…"

"I do not wish to treat my former comrades with such cruelty. They simply wish the best for this village, as do I," Danzou responded, clearly expecting that sort of advice from someone with political awareness of a shrimp. "However, their opposition started to interfere with Konoha's goals, so something must be done."

'_He really thinks he is in the right, huh_.' Kakashi couldn't believe how delusional Danzou was, to believe that his goals aligned with Konoha's best interests…

"Perhaps, we should suggest retirement, sir," Kakashi began, before Hageshi could suggest something equally stupid. His worries were misplaced, it seemed, as the man next to him didn't even look like he was interested in the matter.

"I've already considered this, Hatake, and that indeed would seem to be most appropriate. I do not think, however, that our esteemed councilors will ever agree to retire."

On that, Kakashi could agree with Danzou. He could see those two still advising Naruto when he becomes Hokage. He smiled, thinking about that knucklehead. Hopefully, it won't be long until he gets out of prison. He was certain that Shikamaru and his friends were planning something of sorts. Before that, however, Kakashi needed to prepare everything else.

"I will make sure they agree," he promised. "They'll resign by the end of next week."

"Very well. See to it that they do."

After dealing with the councilors issue, they moved on to discuss other matters. It was growing dark by the time meeting ended, with all present getting tired. Danzou and Kakashi due to all the workload associated with managing the village. Hageshi? He lost interest in this meeting the moment his petty problems were resolved. Hearing the dismissal, Kakashi didn't need to be told twice to remove himself from Hokage's office.

Kakashi didn't know what made him choose the longer road home, but by some act of uncharacteristic dare, he was spurred to take a scenic route along the river quay. Despite the pleasant view, with the soft sunset light coloring the water and sky in its afterglow, Kakashi's walk wasn't as enjoyable. People around cowered upon seeing him, steering clear from his way. It would've been funny how civilians immediately hurried to the other side of the road from his, had it not been so sad. Their expressions, varying from fear to revulsion, showed him that even among civilians his reputation was far from stellar.

Traitor. Coward. Danzou's lapdog.

He didn't hear anything like that from them, of course, but he didn't need them to say it. Their opinion of him was perfectly clear without any verbal expression. Sometimes, though, a rare ninja that felt brave that day did say those things. It was their lucky day if they weren't overheard by any Root agents when they expressed their displeasure in such a vocal manner. People end up in trouble for lesser things than criticizing Danzou and his inner circle. Fools.

Your opinion is of no use if you are dead. And Kakashi tried to make sure that those who were particularly vocal did not end up executed or "missing". He sent them to prison, which was a far better fate than being killed by an overzealous Root ninja. Some would say it is cruel to send people to prison for expressing their opinion, but Kakashi knew, having access to Konoha authorities' documents, that people who were prone to expressing their opinion too much got "removed". So, he acted preemptively, sending people that were about to have an elimination order on them to jail. Many an activist were saved by that neat little trick. That's not to say that what he did was right. And sometimes, though, some of those prisoners end up "taking their own lives". Of course, the shady circumstances of such a "suicide" would not be questioned by the authorities.

Kakashi only hoped that not many people will meet that fate. He was proud of his people for speaking out against Danzou and him, but he couldn't help but wish that they, especially civilians, were a bit more reserved about their opinions. A bit smarter.

The last Hatake walked up closer to a riverbank along his way home. It was one of the favorites for local fishermen. Fond memories flooded Kakashi's mind, when he used to come here every day to catch his dinner. It was one of the few places where he could truly relax and clear his mind. Copy Nin was surprised to spot some children playing in the water. The curfew was nearing, but it seemed the kids have forgotten about time with all the fun they were having. And was that a bow in that boy's hands?

"Told you I can hit a fish with an arrow," bragged the one with a bow.

"Wow, Saburou," said another, showing everyone an arrow that had a small troutlet pierced on it, "you really did shoot that fish!"

It was too easy for Kakashi to suddenly appear behind the kid with a bow, and that was exactly what he did, startling the poor lad. "Shouldn't you kids be at home? The curfew starts in an hour."

The other brats hightailed as soon as they saw who was talking to them, leaving that Saburou guy alone. Kakashi frowned, picking up the arrow with the fish they left behind and handing the boy his prize.

"Go home, kid."

Said kid, who'd been silent all the while, sent him a nasty glare.

"Who are you? And why did you scare my friends?" he miffed, snatching the arrow from the man's outstretched hand. "We were just playing."

"Haven't your friends told you that there is a curfew in this village?" Kakashi ignored the boy's question, already turning towards the road. "You must be at home before nine."

Copy Nin could feel the brat wanted to throw a last word of his own – kids these days… Thankfully, some old fisher who was going home with his catch came down to check what all the ruckus was about and stopped the boy. Kakashi saw fear come over the old man's face at the sight of him but was relieved to see that the man still intended to protect the kid, even though they were obviously strangers. He let the man handle the kid and went on his way, hoping that he won't meet anyone else along.

His walk of shame came to an end when he finally got home. He still couldn't get used to having someone else apart from him live in his house. Even after weeks of living with Hinata he felt that something was wrong as he approached and saw that lights were on. After a momentary rush of paranoia, he remembered that his wife and Hanabi were inside, and wanted to slap himself. It had been a long day.

Still somewhat cautious, Kakashi reached out for the girls' chakra. He wasn't a sensor, but he could easily detect two shinobi, especially when they were not masking their chakra (he put a mental note to teach Hanabi that). Relieved to sense that apart from his wife and her sister nobody was around, and finally reassured, he pushed the door open to enter the house.

"I'm ho–"

Kakashi couldn't finish, too surprised he was noticing a bucket full of water falling on him, about to spill its contents. If he were a lesser ninja and less paranoid… ahem, cautious… he would've fallen for it. However, being himself, Kakashi saw the bucket coming and had plenty of time to react. Thinking that there was no harm in getting splashed with a little water, he calmly awaited the prank to land. Goodness knows maybe it will even freshen him up.

Hinata heard the door creaking and her husband's voice. She didn't know why she indulged Hanabi this stupid prank, but there was no turning back now. If she were honest, she kind of wanted to see what will happen. Perhaps she wanted to act a little childish too, or perhaps she was sure there was no way Kakashi couldn't dodge it. Shockingly, the prank connected, and before them stood wet Kakashi with a bucket for a hat. Immediately Hanabi started to laugh. Understandable, it did present for a funny picture.

"Man, I can't believe you fell for it," she guffawed, clutching her stomach.

Hinata let a small giggle escape, before she sensed that something was wrong. The very air seemed heavy and cold. She looked up from where she and Hanabi were on the couch towards Kakashi and nearly gasped. He was immediately towering above them, removing the bucket and revealing a terrifying look behind.

"Who did this?" he asked, voice chill and low, his normally mild expression giving way to a cold storm underneath.

Hanabi stilled, stunned by his sudden hostile behavior. Hinata was shocked too. Kakashi was not the type to get so upset over a silly prank.

"Kakashi," she tried, only to get interrupted.

"Who. Did. This."

His tone was severe, leaving no room for excuses, but not really making it easy to confess.

"I"–Hanabi looked at the floor, lost–"it was just a prank."

"And how exactly was that supposed to be funny?"

"Hey, not my fault you have no sense of humor!" the girl challenged, looking him in the eye. She wished she didn't, for his expression became much scarier. In the window at his side appeared a bright flash of light, and Hanabi jumped, hearing a loud roar of thunder coming from outside. Kakashi seemed unfazed. In fact, the lightning and thunder made his appearance even more ominous. Hinata decided to put an end to this madness.

"Kakashi," she looked at him seriously, "calm yourself down. It was just a joke!"

He averted his eyes on her, and a chill ran down Hinata's spine. Still, she won't back down, not when her sister is at the end of his fury. She steeled her nerves, putting on the hardest expression any Hyuga would be proud of, and addressed her husband once more.

"Listen, this is ridiculous. If you want to know so badly, then it was me. I did it! But I didn't expect you to get so angry!" disappointment was evident in her voice. She really did think Kakashi would be more mature.

Before Kakashi could say anything, Hanabi stood between Hinata and him.

"She's lying," Hanabi said. "Neechan would never do something so silly! It was me."

Kakashi regarded the two. Both sisters were standing before him with apparent fear in their eyes. However, not a single sign of doubt when protecting each other. Despite everything, each of them was willing to stand up for their sister and take the hit. Had it been the bell test, they would've passed with flying colors. He decided to end this spectacle, he had a feeling it went too far anyway.

Hinata and Hanabi looked at the imposing figure in front of them. Thunder continued raging outside, creating an eerie air around the dangerous man. They tensed, taking battle stances to prepare for an upcoming attack. They were not, however, prepared to what came next.

Kakashi raised his hand, waited a dramatic moment for a lightning to flash, and…

"Well done!" he smiled, giving the two thumbs up. "I am proud of you two!"

Seeing that their startled faces did not change, he felt the need to add, "I am not angry, guys. I was just kidding."

And just like that, a dam was broken through. Hanabi gaped like a fish. Kakashi's amusement was cut short when he noticed his wife's expression. There were many types of angry Hinata, he learned that day. He also learned that not a single one of them was good if directed at you.

"What the hell do you mean 'Well done'!" she yelled. "Is it your idea of a joke? Because neither Hanabi nor I are amused."

Kakashi backed off, but Hinata continued advancing on him, murder evident in her eyes. Nothing helped to placate her, not his sheepish expression, not even a "please", and Kakashi was aware what powerful magic the word contained (Kushina-sama made sure to beat it into his thick skull). Only a miracle could save him now, he resigned. And to think that he just wanted to prank Hanabi in return…

It was a few seconds until Hanabi finally caught up with what was happening. Thunder that appeared out of the blue had somehow vanished, as if there was no storm at all. Hinata was slowly pushing Kakashi further towards the opposite wall. Poor man looked absolutely helpless, mumbling something about her sister being unfair and magical words, whatever that meant. The whole sight looked and felt surreal, especially after what happened just moments ago. That, Hanabi realized, made it even funnier. Not only she got to prank him, but also got a front row ticket to see Hinata chew him out. His own prank backfired hilariously. All in all, Hanabi was pleased.

Kakashi was readying himself for a lengthy lecture unlike any he had before, when he heard laughter. The brat had a nerve to sit there on the couch and laugh at his misfortune. Little rascal. She slid off to the floor, suffocating from her own laughter. Hinata saw it too. She looked incredulously between her sister and her husband, feeling the giggle bubble up in her against her will. Now it was Kakashi's turn to be confused. And they called him weird…

He didn't dwell on it for long, he wanted a miracle and he got it, no reason to complain. So, he chuckled too, at first it was one of those fake chuckles you make when you don't want to offend another, but soon it turned to a full-blown laughter. It dawned on him, the whole absurdity of this situation!

After such a horrible day, these crazy shenanigans were just the thing he needed to unwind. His wife, with a juicy black eye, scolding him because of a prank gone bad. It was all that bucket's fault! It now uselessly lied on the floor under his feet. Hanabi got up when the laughter died down, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Man, you should've seen your face," she told him, regaining her breath. "Best prank ever!"

"Now, Hanabi-chan, this is hardly the way to treat your elders," Kakashi pouted.

"What's the matter, old man? Upset that no one helped you cross the road?" she gloated.

"That's quite enough, Hanabi-chan," Hinata told her sister off. She tried to be stern but couldn't muster the expression. She then turned to Kakashi and told him that it was not a healthy idea of a joke.

"Maa, sorry, sorry," he apologized. "It's just that I had a similar experience with my students before. They were about Hanabi-chan's age too. Sakura looked like she was about to cry… What? It was fun!"

Hinata didn't know how scaring kids to death was supposed to be fun, but she got the sentiment.

"Kakashi," she told him, "please refrain from scaring us like that anymore."

Kakashi just looked at his wife sheepishly. Behind her, he noticed Hanabi stick out her tongue at him. '_Oh, she's so going to get it._'

For now, he was glad that everything went well. Not to mention that he really was proud of his wife and Hanabi-chan. He did not lie when he said it, their bond was stronger than anything in this world. A true bond of friendship.

The dinner, much to Hinata's relief, was a peaceful affair. Hinata and Hanabi quietly chatted while Kakashi was content in listening and observing them. Hanabi volunteered to wash the dishes, while the other two had their 'boring adult talk' as she called it. In truth, it was just Kakashi asking his wife how things were so far and them discussing anything that came up to their minds. Kakashi asked if she was okay with staying alone for ten days while Kakashi and Hanabi were on the trip to Suna. Hinata replied that she didn't mind. They discussed some other trivial things, clearing up any misunderstandings. Each never mentioned the bad things that happened during their day, not wanting to burst the comfortable bubble. Hinata did not say about the gossip around their marriage and her recent black eye, and Kakashi was sick of thinking about his work. Instead, he was happy to inform her that he apologized to Kurenai.

"Let's just say that apology was accepted," he replied mysteriously. He didn't want to dwell on the subject, it wasn't a pleasant one. Kurenai was surprisingly forgiving, he supposed that she suspected it was connected to the recent explosion. And it was probably more for Hinata's benefit than his, but he didn't voice his thoughts. For now, it was enough. Later though, when everything is finished, he would have to talk with every one of his friends, explain himself and properly apologize.

He wished the sisters goodnight when it was time for him to go to his study.

As much as he hated it, he had some work to do. He planned many big things, and for their success he needed to know of the status of resistance in the village. He was aware that Shikamaru had something going on; the Nara was very cautious, but his inexperience showed as Copy Nin was able to gather quite a bit of information. Kakashi frowned, if Shikamaru wanted things to work, he needed to be even more careful. Otherwise, if a ninja with eight ninken could fish out so much, then what could a whole network of Root intelligence find?

No, they absolutely _needed _a wake up call, and he had a perfect way of providing it. With a slap of his palm on his desk he summoned Pakkun.

"Hey, Boss, how's it going?" asked the pug after taking in his surroundings.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted his ninja hound, "I have a mission for you. Can you write?"

"I understand human language and know the letters," Pakkun shrugged, "so probably yes. Although I can assure you, it won't look pretty."

"Perfect," the Copy Ninja said with a grin, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "I'll dictate and you write."

Pakkun sighed resignedly, long used to his old friend's "genius" ideas. It was turning out to be a long night.

"Oh, you'll have to deliver it, so make sure there is no smell," Kakashi added cheerfully.

That night, Pakkun regretted not teaching the alphabet to Biscuit.

* * *

Shikamaru always enjoyed having these late night tea conversations with Kurenai-sensei. He supposed he had Kakashi to thank for that, seeing as how Hatake was the one who forced Kurenai out of her apartment. Unlike many of his comrades, though, Shikamaru didn't hold that against the Copy Ninja. With the events unfolded it was clearly a mercy on his part, as Kurenai was spared from the explosion that would have surely hit her apartment.

Kakashi Hatake was always a mystery to Shikamaru. And the Nara genius liked to challenge his brain, so solving that particular mystery was always somewhere there, at the rim of his mind. Now, it seemed the time has come for him to tackle that particular challenge.

He took a sip of his coffee.

"You said he apologized?" Interesting…

"Yeah, came up to me out of the blue like he usually does, and said he was sorry," Kurenai said, gently rocking Mirai to sleep. "I'm telling you; he was definitely looking out for me."

That much Shikamaru understood. The question was whether his consideration ended at that or there was more to it.

"You also mentioned a compensation."

"Yeah," the woman waved her free hand in dismissal, "he wanted to give me money, but I refused. Told him to use it for the village's benefit. He kind of looked deep in thought before agreeing. Do you think he is really going to do something?"

"Do something as in with the money, or do something in general?"

"Both."

"Probably on first and definitely on second," Shikamaru replied after a moment of thought.

"Well, I'm going to put Mirai to bed," the mother said, standing up. "Don't stay up too late."

The Nara clan head only nodded, his mind was already somewhere else with speculations and strategies about upcoming days. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden loud sound from outside the window. Shikamaru quickly sprung up, listening. It sounded like somebody landed right outside, but there was nothing that followed up.

Carefully approaching the window, he peeked outside – you can never be too cautious in a ninja village – nobody was there. Leaning out, he looked around, his eyes spotting a small piece of paper on the ground. Curious, he picked it up, examining it in the process.

It was a simple letter; no signature, no address. Just a few lines of words.

"_Where tree leaves dance... One will find flames... The fire's shadow will illuminate the village... And once again the tree leaves shall bud anew_."

Nara head's eyes widened, words on the parchment ringing a bell. He remembered those words! It was Third Hokage's poem he read to them back when they were in the Academy…

But what did it all mean? Why would somebody leave a mysterious note right on his porch? Dozens of possibilities ran through young genius' mind, ranging from a simple prank to a warning to something sinister. In any case, he thought, others needed to know about this too.

* * *

Next morning it was Kakashi who woke up first.

He suspected Hanabi and Hinata would like something sweet, so he settled for making pancakes. He was a decent cook if he practiced the recipe, but he never made pancakes. Therefore, it was not surprising when an hour later Hinata and Hanabi found him in the middle of a very messy kitchen, flour dusting his silver hair. At least he finished the pancakes, he thought, as Hanabi started making fun of his clumsiness.

"You are right on time," he told them, unfazed.

Even Hinata looked amused. Kakashi brought the food, while Hinata helped to serve the table. The pancakes came out very thin and the texture was totally different. Other than that, they looked edible, so he supposed it wasn't such a waste after all. He ignored Hanabi's skeptical observation and allowed them to taste the first batch. Can't mess up the pancakes, he thought. Well, apart from the first few ones. And the kitchen. And his hair, apparently.

"You know," Hinata started, "this is pretty good."

Hanabi didn't say anything but her taking another serving spoke for itself.

"Well, eat up, because I've planned a whole morning of training for us," Copy Nin said proudly, accompanied by a mock groan from Hanabi and a giggle from Hinata.

As promised, after food they all went outside for training. This time Kakashi observed Hinata and Hanabi's exercises that he gave them the day before. He spent a good portion of his life designing this regimen, so they better not slack off. He eagerly corrected any errors, gave tips and answered their questions. It felt good to teach someone again. And judging by his new students' enthusiasm training with them will be a pleasure. Few hours later, when he was satisfied with their effort, he decided to use a break to relocate to one of the public training grounds.

"Why are we going to another training grounds, again?" asked Hanabi.

"I already told you, I have something in mind, and we cannot do it back at our own field."

"But you didn't tell us what."

Kakashi ignored her question. It was easier to explain once they got there.

"Okay, we are here."

With those words, Kakashi gestured towards the mountain near the Konoha training grounds. There were some ninjas training at the base of the rock. They noticed Kakashi and his two companions, stopping whatever practice they had. As soon as it was sure Kakashi was going to train there, they quietly left the area.

"What was that all about?" asked Hanabi. "There is plenty of space for all of us to train."

Hinata just looked empathically at Kakashi. It was clear that those people left because he arrived.

"Don't mind them, Hanabi-chan. We only need the rock anyway," Kakashi said, trying to appear nonchalant.

As if nothing happened, he proceeded to explain the purpose of their exercise: Hanabi and Hinata will take turns in climbing the rock without using chakra. Kakashi will observe and if necessary, intervene if he was sure they were going to fall. He prohibited the use of chakra, even if they did fall. That way, it would allow for trust to build between them, and more importantly, to build their discipline, together with strength and stamina.

He came up with this exercise when he was an academy student, and it helped him immensely throughout his training.

The rock itself was about as tall as a 9-story building. It had a peculiar shape, standing vertically a flat 90 degrees for the first half, after which it bent outwards at a steep angle, before becoming vertical once again. The kink was relatively long, for about 10 meters, and it was what made the exercise challenging. Climbing up vertically is easy for a ninja, with or without chakra. However, climbing at an angle, when your body is hanging from the surface and its weight pulling you down is no easy feat.

The girls were skeptical at first. It seemed easy to them, even with no chakra. How could climbing a stupid mountain help them, Hanabi asked? However, when Hinata went first, both of them understood how hard it actually was. As expected, Hinata had no trouble climbing the first part, but it got challenging at the kink. It was difficult to figure out how one should transfer from a straight angle to a steep surface, and it was even harder to climb the whole distance. Eventually, though, Hinata managed. She was too exhausted to climb back down, so Kakashi allowed her to use her chakra. She jumped down, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, feeling like her arms were about to fall off. She immediately flopped down on the ground, having no strength to stand anymore.

"This," she wheezed, gasping for breath, "was harder than I thought."

"You did well," Kakashi commented. "For your first time it was good enough. You managed to climb the whole distance." He tried to be more generous with his praise, as he remembered Kurenai once telling him how well Hinata responded to positive feedback.

"I guess it's my turn now," Hanabi sighed, already anticipating the struggle from that torture of an exercise. She only hoped that her muscles won't spasm her to death.

With a bit of warmup, the younger Hyuga started climbing. As with Hinata, she seemed to be doing well up until the kink. There, she stopped and didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"You sure it's possible?" she shouted down. A silly question, considering that her sister had demonstrated it just now.

"If you can't do it without it, you can use chakra. But do it with as little as possible," Kakashi yelled back.

Hanabi irately mumbled something that the two people below had no way of hearing, before finally continuing upwards.

"She is using chakra," Kakashi heard Hinata say beside him, her Byakugan activated. "But she is trying with very little, exactly as you said."

Kakashi's nod indicated that he expected no less. He kept observing, with an occasional correctional comment loud enough for Hanabi to hear. He seemed relaxed, disinterestedly watching her sister, but Hinata had a feeling that should Hanabi fall he would be there in an instant. Which is why she continued peacefully resting on the ground. Fortunately, her sister got through without any accidents. Again, Hanabi had to use chakra to get back down. She sprawled on the ground near Hinata, releasing a pleasant sigh from the feeling of cool grass on her heated body.

"Neesan," she turned to Hinata, panting, "how the hell did you do it with no chakra?"

Hanabi's expression directed at Hinata, a mix of incredulity and awe, was so like when Obito looked at him sometimes when they were kids. Kakashi looked at Hinata and noticed that she was grinning at her sister, saying gentle encouragements. The two sat up, Hanabi talking on how amazing her big sister was, while Hinata tried to be modest, but her smirk was betraying her intentions.

"Well done, Hanabi-chan," Kakashi praised the younger Hyuga as well. "I reckon you can do it without chakra in a few months' time."

He patted Hanabi's head, ruffling her hair. Hanabi, as usual, glared at him for ruining her hairdo. Even so, she seemed pleased enough. Hinata smiled warmly at their exchange. She knew that Kakashi wasn't the most outgoing of people but seeing him make such an effort with her little sister, there was no doubt he enjoyed her company. Could it be that the real Kakashi was the one she saw now, unaffected by his reputation and people's prejudice?

Hanabi, in her part, despite calling him names and showing exaggerated displeasure at his contact, longed for a friend. She certainly respected Kakashi's opinion, judging from her heeding his every word regarding training. Perhaps in time they could become the best of friends.

Hinata could only do her best and hope.

"Alright, you guys rest for a bit and we can continue here, or we can head back and train at home," Kakashi suggested.

"Not so fast, Gray-hair," Hanabi was becoming fond of that nickname. "You must finish your own training as well. Otherwise it won't be fair."

"Hanabi-chan, you don't train because I train. You shouldn't look at others."

"I think you should do it too," Hinata cut in. It wouldn't do for him to neglect his own practice for their benefit. "Hanabi is right, it is not fair for us to benefit from your exercise, while you yourself cannot."

Hinata's expression was innocent enough, but Kakashi had a feeling that the two were just ganging up on him again. Well, he thought, no harm in doing some exercise.

"Alright," Kakashi gave in. "You guys watch and learn how its done." With a wink, the jounin went towards the rock.

Fifteen minutes later, Hanabi and Hinata still couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"How is he doing it!?"

Hinata did not answer the rhetorical question. She kept watching Kakashi, who was in the middle of the sloped part of the rock, with one arm behind his back. The woman snorted. It was in his nature to challenge himself, she supposed. No wonder he is friends with Gai-sensei. Half an hour more, and he finished both climbing up and getting down. When he approached, he was panting, covered in sweat. He sat down near them, looking as exhausted as they had been. Hinata was glad to see some signs that he was human after all.

"Did you have to climb using only one hand?" she asked, bemused.

"Show off," Hanabi muttered beside her.

"That is the purpose of the exercise," Kakashi calmly told them, already beginning to regain his breath. "If it becomes easy, you make it harder. You continue this until the hardest becomes easy. This is how you are going to do it." Kakashi gave them a meaningful look.

Both sisters nodded readily, understanding completely. As a shinobi, you must seek every opportunity to better yourself; those who don't, end up dead. That's why ninjas who reach old age are generally respected. People like Danzou or Tsunade didn't reach their age by sitting idly and doing nothing. They were constantly on guard, and if you want to be on par with them you had to adopt the same mentality.

After some more training, Kakashi had to leave for work. Apparently, some conflict broke out in the market, and the police wasn't able to contain it. He hastily left with the two policemen who came to retrieve him, he told Hinata and Hanabi to continue their training.

After Kakashi's departure, Hinata couldn't help but worry. What kind of conflict could it be? Policemen wouldn't come to Kakashi just for any reason. It must be something serious if even Root-backed police had trouble containing the situation. She had half a mind to go after them, but Hanabi stopped her.

"Sis, there is no way for us to intervene. Police probably had cordoned off the area. Not to mention that Kakashi will have no trouble dealing with whatever happened. If it were something really dangerous, people would be evacuating, and Root would be everywhere."

"You are right," Hinata sighed. "They probably called him because he was nearby. Or because he was the most suitable to deal with the situation," she reasoned, more to convince herself than anything else.

Still, she couldn't shake away the feelings of concern. Whatever happened, it was serious enough for Kakashi to be asked for aid. Hinata had faith in her husband though, he was an excellent ninja, no doubt he could deal with any problem. They could rush after him, coming up late and possibly making everything worse, or they could stay here and make sure the rest of the day didn't go to waste.

With a heavy exhale, Hinata made her decision.

"Let's continue training."

And train they did.

Kakashi arrived at a site of a destroyed market food stall. Takoyaki, fried corn and potato and other elements of street food were littered around on the ground. The owner of said stall was cowering behind the policemen who let a visible sigh of relief at Kakashi's arrival.

Few feet from them stood a brawny ninja, who Kakashi immediately identified as Kasai Manobu and guessed was the instigator. Strangely enough, he wasn't being refrained by police.

"Kasai," he coldly addressed the man, "what is the meaning of this?"

Said man turned to him with a look of mock surprise.

"Hatake, pal, what are ya doing in such a place? Aren't you a bit too classy to walk about such plebian places?" He absently kicked the ruined stall's debris away, clearing the area around himself.

"I asked you a question, Manobu," Kakashi pressed, ignoring the man's jibe.

Kasai looked Kakashi in the eye, leering. For a moment, both men just stared at each other, the air around becoming heavy with tension. For some reason, Kasai showed interest in Kakashi, always provoking him, baiting for a fight. Copy Ninja doubted that what happened today was planned by the man, but it was clear that his arrival was akin to a pleasant surprise for Kasai.

Finally, the mercenary broke the silent standoff.

"If you must know, this peasant here," he nodded towards the stall owner, "real disrespectful. Tried ta rob me."

Hearing such obvious slander, the vendor spoke up, not able to contain the indignance in his voice.

"I did no such thing!" he exclaimed. "This mister, he took the food but refused to pay! I thought maybe he forgot, so I asked him. Then he went nuts, ruining my stand and scaring everyone!"

As sudden as it appeared, his momentary outburst had quickly died down, quenched by Kasai's fury.

"You, groveling scum! Had no trouble kowtowing when there was no one to whinge to, but as soon as someone comes ta protect your ass, you snitch!" So angry was he when advancing on the poor vendor that he shoved away the policemen that came to block him. "You, pathetic fucking rat, I'll–"

"That's quite enough," Kakashi interrupted, standing between the two. He looked up at the seething man's face. "Now, you are going to calm down, and you are going with the police. No making trouble. Do you understand?" he spoke, hard and authoritative.

Kakashi was fully prepared for a fight. Manobu looked like he was about to jump him, and Kakashi doubted the man paid much mind to any consequences. Thankfully, Kasai just glared at him, before spitting on the ground and allowing police to take him away.

"Don't think I forgot about ya, little shit," he stopped when they were passing the stall owner, making the poor man blanch.

The vendor gulped and turned to Kakashi, thanking him shakily. The Jounin Commander regarded him for a moment, sighed and turned to the remaining police officers.

"Arrest this one, too. A month in custody should do it," he said pointing at the vendor, voice weary.

The policemen staggered, exchanging glances.

"I said arrest him, damn it."

Despite him not raising his voice and his tone being completely flat, the officers hastily obeyed, not needing to hear a command for the third time. The unfortunate vendor looked like he no longer understood what was happening around. He was blabbering, unable to form a coherent sentence while being led away.

"Wait," Kakashi spoke again. "How much do you reckon you earn in a month?" Seeing that vendor still hadn't regained his composure, he slowly repeated the question, urging the shocked man to answer. This time more assertive.

"A-a-around 25,000 ryō, sir," the stall owner stammered, unsure why he was asked but not daring to voice the question.

Kakashi nodded and signaled them to continue. When the vendor was gone, he turned to another policeman.

"You are going to inform his relatives," he stated, anything he says automatically becoming an order. "Here is a check for 30,000 ryō. Hand it to them when they come. If there is no one, then give it to the owner directly upon release."

The policeman nodded confusedly and secured the document in the inner pocket of his vest. No need to ask unnecessary questions to Kakashi Hatake, better do as the man says.

Kakashi left them with cleaning up the mess Kasai had made. He was in no mood to supervise the authorities any longer.

He wished he didn't need to imprison the vendor, but he didn't want to take any chances. Kasai had no qualms hurting the man, and he won't be contained for long. That last remark of his was a clear threat and a reason for concern. Kakashi was sure that the first thing on that brute's mind upon release will be revenge, but someone like Kasai is not likely to hold such an insignificant grudge for long. He will forget about or dismiss the whole thing after he had the time to cool off. Kakashi hoped he would lose interest in the poor vendor by the time that unfortunate man is released.

After dealing with Kasai, Kakashi remembered that he had some additional work to do, including speaking with Hiashi - something he'd been doing on a regular basis this past month. By the time he was set free Hinata and Hanabi had already finished training. They were lolling on the couch, reading trivial magazines and discussing them, it looked like. Kakashi was glad they found something to do without him, he didn't have the mood to participate in their activities.

He tried to quietly pass right into his study but was noticed by Hinata.

"Welcome back," his wife called, momentarily averting her attention from her glossy read.

"Yeah… I am back…"

In his haste to escape he completely forgot to tell them about tomorrow's mission with Hanabi. Well, he supposed, better to use this opportunity now when he'd already been spotted. With these thoughts he went towards the girls.

The couch was littered with magazines, articles of makeup, and food crumbs. Hanabi unceremoniously stretched on it, leaving Kakashi no space to sit down. He was about to plop right down on Hanabi (that'll teach her), when Hinata scooted over, giving him a sheepish smile.

"I spoke with Hiashi-sama," Kakashi began, pausing upon seeing one of the titles on the front cover of a very girly looking magazine; it said '_Ten Sure Signs Others Consider You Attractive_' (what in the world?), "he gave his consent for us to go," he managed to finish almost losing his train of thought. Secretly, he kinda wanted to know what they wrote there.

Hanabi sat up to give Kakashi more space, although that was probably because she was uncomfortable that he was sitting so close to Hinata. Hinata, however, seemed glad. She released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and smiled.

She was often gifting him her smiles, Kakashi noticed. He wanted to hope he deserved at least half of them.

Thankfully, her little sister had no problem pulling his head out of the clouds.

"Do you have anything else to tell? Want us to braid your hair?" she asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone. "Otherwise, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave."

"And what if I do?" Kakashi challenged just to annoy Hanabi, but soon realized his mistake.

"That's fine," Hinata said before he could leave, pulling out a brush and a set of bright colored hair clips, "we don't mind arranging your hair."

Kakashi meant to excuse himself out of such activities. It was hard enough to say no when Hinata offered it so enthusiastically. Add to that Hanabi's indignation, and Copy Nin found himself agreeing, if only to spite the twerp. He let Sakura play with his hair often enough to know that the activity was harmless.

Twenty minutes later Kakashi was sitting at the base of the sofa, sporting a fancy looking hairdo. He honestly would've been impressed had he not seen all kinds of styles from Sakura before.

"Sheesh, you have the most horrible hair, you know that?"

"That's quite rude, Hanabi-chan," Hinata softly admonished, "but I do believe your usual style works best for you."

"Sakura was of the same opinion," Kakashi responded, absently.

Truthfully, he was in a fuzzy daze the whole time Hinata and Hanabi worked on his hair. It felt calming. Soothing. Although his vacant response seemed to interest his wife.

"You let Sakura-san do your hair?" Hinata asked, disbelieving.

"She can be a real thorn in your side during missions," was his cryptic answer. "But she is a trendy person, so if even she shares your opinion, it must be true."

"I see…"

Not seeing Hanabi's frown nor Hinata's deflated expression, Kakashi continued, lost in the pleasant sensation.

"Oh, yes. She and her friend, Ino, they always seemed to be in touch with fashion. I admit, it is useful if you want to look good, but I never saw you be interested in that sort of thing until today… Those two must really care about their appearance."

He didn't mean it in a condescending way. It was normal for a person to care for their appearance. He thought it was a bit unnecessary sometimes, and definitely laborious, but Kakashi never held it against others. However, when he turned around, he finally noticed that Hanabi was frowning, while Hinata looked downcast. He thought it was because he was being a jerk towards Sakura and Ino, so he immediately went to amend his words.

"What I mean is, I don't think it's bad. On the contrary, I think it is good for them to be stylish. I suppose it is normal for girls, even."

If the Hyuga girls' worsened expressions were any indication, he clearly failed to save the situation. If anything, he seemed to make it worse with every word.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hanabi, righteous fury in her voice. "Are you implying oneesan is not normal?!"–Kakashi raised his hand to reply, but Hanabi had none of it–"Besides, if we are not so shallow it doesn't mean we don't care about our appearances! Neechan may not care about fashion as much, but she is no slob! You guys are stupid to have such ridiculous values anyway."

'_Oh._'

It was the only thought that came to Kakashi's mind during Hanabi's rant, along with '_Idiot_'. He had totally misread the situation. He suspected there could be some sort of complex at play, with her shyness and all. So even Hyuga had insecurities, huh.

"Sorry," Kakashi coughed, not sure what else to say. "I don't really care about appearances– I mean, you shouldn't care about it either…" No, that didn't sound quite right. "What I mean is, you shouldn't care about others' opinions, because… Because you are already beautiful," he blurted. "You two are elegant and graceful. All Hyuga's I suppose, but you are especially…" he finished lamely.

Hinata stilled, looking at him somewhat expectantly.

He managed to cut his ramblings short and allowed himself a moment to formulate his thoughts, before continuing. This time in a more composed manner.

"Hinata, Hanabi-chan. I think you are pretty, I really do. And you are certainly not shallow. What I meant was that it is not important what strangers think, and you shouldn't take their opinions to heart. The important opinions are of people who care about you."

Kakashi looked at the two expectantly. Hanabi seemed satisfied with his response, but Hinata still looked slightly disturbed, eyes downcast.

"Come on," he addressed Hinata, making her look at him. "Hanabi-chan thinks you are amazing. Your friends think highly of you. I think you– ehm, I agree with them," he cleared his throat, making both girls look strangely at him. '_You are beautiful,_' was what he meant to say, but…

"Yeah, sis, be more confident in yourself! You are a looker!" Hanabi added, making her sister blush.

"Thanks, guys," Hinata smiled. "I know it's silly, but I cannot help but worry sometimes… God, it's so silly!"

"What did I tell you?" Kakashi nudged, glad that his wife cheered up. "Your troubles are important to me. If you ever doubt my sincerity, just go ahead and ask directly."

This seemed to do the trick. Hinata's expression all warmed up, and she bestowed him with another of her jubilant smiles. Hanabi even politely grunted in approval. Relieved it's been settled, Kakashi finally excused himself to his study. He really needed to finish his work before departing to Suna tomorrow morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

Kakashi rouse before Hanabi, taking pleasure in waking her up; the girl's scandalized screams were like music to his ears. Hyugas were such prudes, he thought. He only watched her sleep while waiting for her to rise... He had a score to even with the twerp, after all.

Hinata giggled at the whole ordeal, making the trouble doubly worth it for the jounin. What with her sister spouting curses at Kakashi, calling him pervert while blushing profusely. Thankfully, Hanabi-chan managed to keep swearing below the level of mature, his personal favorite being "son of a biscuit". It was cute, really, despite her self-will, the girl was very proper in many aspects, her insults sounding more adorable than offensive to his desensitized ears. To think of it, almost any insult would be better than what he usually heard from Kiba's mother during meetings between village clans.

A hasty breakfast and few more verbal skirmishes later, Kakashi and Hanabi stood ready outside the house, with Hinata wishing them a safe journey. Hanabi managed to reign herself and properly say goodbye to her sister, but it seemed her patience no longer needed to be retained once they reached the village gates. She started to shower him with questions: 'How long will it take to reach Suna?', 'Are they going to see other places?', 'What was the purpose of the mission, anyway?'

"I see you are excited, Hanabi-chan," Kakashi teased, saluting shinobi at the gate duty. They, of course, just ignored him, but he decided to not let that ruin his mood; it was a nice sunny day, afterall. "It sure doesn't look like winter even by Konoha standards, don't you think?" he asked his companion, forgetting her last question.

"Yeah, yeah," the girl responded, clearly wanting to move the discussion towards their mission. "You didn't answer my question. How long is the road to Suna?"

"It is three days distance from Konoha to Suna if we go at an average pace. We are not in a hurry, so we can walk at a relatively leisure pace. If you want, however, we can run some of the distance, so we can make a little detour here and there," he said mysteriously. "As for the mission's purpose, officially it is to settle down some disputes, but I also planned to help Sunagakure. Hopefully, we could manage at least our primary objective."

This trip was a perfect opportunity for Hanabi to learn and get experience with diplomacy. The last Hatake intended to make full use of it.

Hanabi was an astute girl. When Kakashi asked for her thoughts on the Leaf-Sand relations, she went into a fairly comprehensive analysis of Konoha's diplomacy, past and present, factoring in current Kazekage's lack of experience, Danzo's aggressive foreign policy, and the state of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Hiashi taught her well, Kakashi thought. Of course, there still was much for her to learn. Her evaluation although impressive, lacked clarity and some of the things she said sounded more like they came from cramming and memorization rather than actual understanding. As a good teacher he tried to be, he let her know of it.

"Your knowledge of history is satisfactory, and your analysis is more sophisticated than what I would have expected for a genin," he said honestly. "However, you are a Noble Clan heiress, so higher standards apply in your case."

Hanabi, who seemed to be relishing the praise, quickly changed her smug expression to a pout.

"How is it that every time you praise me, I feel more stupid than before?"

Kakashi just smiled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"It is my job as sensei to remind my students of their inadequacy, so that they never get cocky," he told her matter-of-fact. "Your performance so far had been nothing less than stellar, but I want you to realize that you also had more opportunities compared to others. Being a clan heiress is both a privilege and a burden," Kakashi's face took a wistful expression. "You had the best tutors and education, so it is only fair you are evaluated against a higher standard, don't you think?"

This made Hanabi wonder if her initial assessment of the man was even remotely correct. It was no secret that Kakashi Hatake was a genius. She'd thought that being a prodigy meant that he didn't have to put in any effort, things just come easy for him. But observing him, listening to his teachings, Hanabi gradually came to a conclusion that Kakashi had a higher expectation of himself than any of his peers. His talent was ridiculous, and therefore, he had to adopt equally ridiculous standards for himself.

She was quiet for a long time. Copy Nin started to think maybe he was too harsh to load her like that, but she turned to him with the light of newfound determination.

"I think I get it," she told him resolutely. From the look in her eyes alone Kakashi could see she understood what he was trying to convey. Indeed, the girl was a nugget. He couldn't resist patting her one more time.

"Atta girl! But you should know that it doesn't mean that you cannot have fun and must work all the time."

She glared at him, but there was no malice in it.

The rest of the way was spent in little talk. Sometime after their conversation, Kakashi had taken out his favorite book, all the while keeping an eye on his young charge. The Hyuga girl just rolled her eyes at him, turning her attention on their surroundings instead, looking around, exploring the world with keen interest. She would ask him a question from time to time, to which he tried to give as comprehensive answer as he could. Eventually, when the day was close to an end, they reached what Kakashi thought could be their first detour. He signaled Hanabi to stop.

"Alright, we have two options," he told her, putting his book aside. "One, we can set up a camp here and spend the night resting… or, we could make a little diversion and go visit the Glowing Forest."

Kakashi didn't need to be a genius to know what the girl's answer was going to be.

"Spend the night in a boring camp instead of seeing a glowing forest? Have you lost your marbles, old man?!"

"Hey, no need to be mean," he mock-pouted. "You know what? I think if you are going to be so mean we won't go anywhere."

It was fun to watch the twerp's face change so fast. It went from exaggerated exasperation to anxiety in a matter of a second.

"Please," she pleaded, "I will not insult you today anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean? Your good behavior only lasts until you get what you wanted from me? I say you don't deserve the trip."

That'll teach her, he thought, turning away from her for further effect.

He was about to tease her some more, but the girl went uncharacteristically quiet. Turning back at her Kakashi was surprised to notice her crestfallen expression. He couldn't believe his eyes when she started to unpack, soft sounds of rustling of her bag's contents filling the air around them.

"Hey, Hanabi-chan," he addressed her, failing to hide worry from his voice. "What are you doing?"

The girl refused to look at him. She had the decency to reply, though.

"Unpacking. Seeing as we are not going to the forest."

Her voice was flat, but the disappointment was still clear in her demeanor. He understood she was upset, she probably blamed herself for blowing her chance. Kakashi reminded himself that despite her rebellious facade, she was a very strictly raised child. Obeying elders and superiors was ingrained in her since she was old enough to learn, so there should be no surprise that she sometimes failed to discern a joke from an order. He noticed similar behavior in Hinata as well, although to a lesser extent.

"Hanabi-chan," he said, wondering if the problem perhaps lied in his brand of humor, rather than others not being able to separate his sarcasm from truth. "We are going to the forest."

"Really?" she looked at him, expression not quite believing but oh so imploring.

"Of course!" was his indignant reply.

The girl thanked him politely, still afraid he would retract his offer, and immediately started to pack up again.

It was getting dark by the time they neared the expanse of the Glowing Forest. Hanabi was still tentative around him, which was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Hey, twerp," he called for her, making her bristle – good sign. "Listen, I am not one of your tutors, I don't have a stick up my bum anymore, so you don't need to tiptoe around me. I can take a joke, especially from my dear sister-in-law."

That seemed to tick her off. Kakashi smirked, pleased.

"I don't tiptoe around my tutors," she responded, voice crisp. "And don't call me a twerp, you stupid, old, ugly, stupid pervert!"

"You said stupid twice, dear sister."

"That's because you are stupid. And don't call me sister," the girl grunted, to which the older man replied with a chuckle. If he looked in her direction at that moment, he would've noticed a small smile playing on her face.

All her life, people's treatment of her had been rather unequal. She was an heiress, and her clansmen thought her to be either higher than them in social standing, or lower, in case with Clan Elders and her tutors. For so long Hinata was the only one she could speak to as an equal. She didn't complain, not at all, but it sometimes could get really lonely when you can't have a normal conversation with a person without expecting them to kowtow before you or scold you. Now, not only she had her sister, but Kakashi too seemed to treat her as an equal. Their banter had practically become a tradition, and he never looked down at her, nor did he shelter her from honesty. He genuinely seemed to be concerned about her and her sister's wellbeing, something that had astonished her upon first realizing it. Now, she seemed to just take it as a given sometimes, forgetting how important it was to her.

Hanabi smiled, so that was how making new friends felt like.

So absorbed she was with her revelation that she didn't notice when they entered the forest. Only when she felt the air become warmer did she notice that there were trees everywhere.

"It's very warm in this forest compared to outside and there is a lot of time until it starts snowing. We should be able to see it," Kakashi said, looking around.

"So, it doesn't always glow?"

"No," Copy Nin shook his head. "It depends on the season, actually. Some places glow only until October, but this forest is unique – it glows until late winter."

Hanabi thought on her companion's words. She cracked her head on what could possibly make it glow. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary yet. It looked like a regular forest, the likes of which are countless throughout the Land of Fire. Kakashi seemed to know what he was doing though, so Hanabi initially decided to keep her thoughts to herself. They were walking for quite some time already, though, so expectedly, her curiosity began prevailing over her patience.

"Why is it called Glowing Forest?" she asked, fearing that it was some kind of metaphorical name and there was no actual glowing in this forest. Adults seemed to like that sort of thing.

"You'll see," was his curt reply.

Not helping at all.

"When will we see the glowing? Does it start at a specific time or we haven't reached the glowing area yet?"

"Boy, you sure are excited," Kakashi stated, still not answering her questions.

Kakashi remembered his own teacher bringing them to this very forest. Obito and Rin had been thrilled. Even he was a little excited, his teammates' mood easily infecting him. At first, he was skeptical, how could a trip to a forest help them become stronger? But Minato-sensei told them that not everything they do is meant to make them stronger, or even better in any way. Sometimes we do something just for the fun of it. Besides, he added, it would be a great team-bonding activity.

Kakashi smiled, nostalgia washing over him. It was in moments like this he remembered how grateful he was to his team, to Kushina-sama. They did so much for him, trying to make sure he _lived _his life instead of just existing. They looked out for his wellbeing, considered him as a person, rather than White Fang's son or a prodigy soldier. They were the ones who pulled him out of the darkness...

He looked at the young girl walking before him, excited yet too unsure how to behave around him. Was she looked at by her clanmates like she was an heiress of a mighty family, or did they treat her like actual family? It was time he applied his sensei's teachings, he decided. He will make sure Hanabi felt like a human being. Not her title, not her status, but her own person, with feelings and dreams.

How many dreams a child such as her should have?

"Are you ready to see the miracle of the Glowing Forest?" he cheerfully asked, adding a little pomp to his speech. The look Hanabi gave him was a mixture of disbelief and hopeful anticipation.

Kakashi lead her through a small river, on the other side was a less dense part of the wood. There, he gestured forward, taking pleasure in the way Hanabi's eyes widened in amazement at the sight.

Hanabi looked around and gaped. Before them stood a grove, thousands of glowing mushrooms littering every available surface. There were ones with a stalk, growing on the ground; bushy looking ones that protruded from tree branches; leaf-shaped mushrooms growing on tree barks – all creating a beautiful garland around the area. They were glowing various shades of yellow and green, giving the forest an eerie, supernatural appearance. The whole coppice stood ablaze with the gleam of the nature's wonder that was luminescent fungi.

"It's beautiful…" Hanabi whispered, awestruck.

She had a sudden impulse to run closer, to feel the wonder before her. Instead, she wandered around tentatively, as though her very intrusion will shatter the place's delicate allure. She absorbed every detail, holding her breath. In a bout of curiosity, she even dared to touch the mushrooms, as if that would somehow reveal the secret of their ability to glow.

"Should've brought a camera," she said, lamenting, voice a whisper as she took in the scene around.

"You are lucky your sister packed me one, then," Kakashi said, grateful to Hinata for her considerate nature.

Young Hyuga turned to him so abruptly, with such relief plastered on her face. Kakashi entertained an idea to tell her it was a joke. However, she looked so happy the older ninja couldn't find it in himself to ruin the moment.

"Here we go," he said, holding the camera out towards the girl.

She was over the moon.

Immediately started taking pictures from various angles. As with his teammates long time ago, Hanabi's unbridled joy was contagious, for Kakashi soon found himself advising her on the finer angle to better capture the beauty of the forest. They playfully argued about the most appealing shot and the nature of the mushrooms' glowing.

Eventually, they were lying on the ground, surrounded by all the luminescence, talking amiably for once.

"Now I know why they called it Glowing," Hanabi said, breezily, her contented expression illuminated by the forest.

"It's not the only reason, though. If we are lucky, we might see another reason for its name."

The girl turned towards him, curious. The joyful gleam in her eyes at the prospect of another wonder was brighter than the light emanating from all around them.

"Really?"

"Yeah… We might see the fireflies, it might not be as alluring as the mushrooms, but it's still quite beautiful, especially if there is a lot of them. There is a small river nearby, so we have a good chance to spot some."

"Why is that?" the girl asked, surprising him once more. Nobody ever got interested in what he had to say about things other than shinobi-related. Yet there lied a girl who was as curious about his knowledge on fireflies as she was about his advice on combat.

"Well, technically those are not fireflies, as fireflies hibernate over winter. These are more like glowing bugs that for some reason only populate this forest, and their hibernation cycle starts much later in December."

Kakashi glanced at his charge, fully expecting her to get bored from his tedious ramblings, but was surprised to see that she was listening intently despite watching the sky. She caught his gaze for a brief second and beckoned him to continue.

"Like fireflies, though, those insects thrive in wet and unpolluted environments. The river in this forest is exactly such an environment," Kakashi explained, remembering what he read about insects when he was a kid. "You'll have to wait though."

"Mhm," she nodded, quietly. Despite being tired there was no desire for sleep not in a single eye until she saw the 'fireflies'.

Masked ninja watched his young charge. She looked serene; a content smile stretched across her brightened face. It was at moments like this, Kakashi thought, life seems that it has a purpose. Just lying down, with your friend, not a care in the world. He felt truly at peace.

"You can go sleep if you want. I'll stay and look out for the fireflies. I will wake you up if they come."

"Thanks," Hanabi whispered, softly, "but I don't want to sleep yet."

And so, they waited, a comfortable air between the two. Stars gleamed above in the sky adding to the glow around them, on the ground and trees. Kakashi even pointed out some of the constellations, promising to tell her more about the North Star sometime later.

For now, they waited for the fireflies.

Wasn't long until Kakashi began dozing away, all those sleepless nights and accumulated stress finally taking their toll on his tired mind. He almost succumbed to the lethargy when he heard Hanabi's excited call.

"Look!"

She pointed towards the left from him. There, a stream of light was flowing. At first, it was but a small ray, closing in until it consumed the space above their heads, bringing the stars closer. The place around became even brighter with the fireflies' arrival.

Kakashi looked at his charge. She was even more awestruck, if that was even possible. Hanabi observed, enthralled by the light show. And he... he couldn't take his eyes of off his young charge. There was something special in her expression, the twinkle of innocence that outshone all the light around and above. The same gleam that he'd often spied in his wife's eyes when she looked happy. Those two certainly were family, he thought, and Kakashi got a desperate, irrational desire to be part of that family as well.

The thought was so sudden that he almost jumped at realization. By the time his ruminations ended his young charge had already succumbed to sweet sleep, the smile never leaving her young face. Kakashi's own lips stretched in a grin under the mask, as he finally allowed himself a few hours of respite before the dawn.

For the first time since his becoming Jounin Commander, Kakashi didn't see his comrades' disappointed faces when he closed his eyes to sleep, nor did he hear their accusations and scorn.

All that appeared in his head was his sister's happy, content expression.

* * *

Hanabi woke up to a feeling of something firm but not unpleasant. It was warm and had a comforting smell, so she snuggled up to it, refusing to get up. Only after sensing it rumble from laughter did she realize Kakashi was carrying her, piggyback. She sprung off him immediately, no trace of sleep in her eyes.

"Good morning," she heard him say, as if he hadn't just been carrying her in her sleep.

Words of indignation died in her throat as Hanabi took in their surroundings. Apparently, Kakashi considered morning when it was barely daybreak. She looked around, noticing the forest a few kilometers behind them.

"Did you have to carry me like that? It's embarrassing!"

The Hyuga in her looked properly embarrassed. It went away as soon as it struck, and she didn't make a fight out of it like she normally did.

"I carried Sakura and Naruto like that when they were your age," Kakashi shrugged, also remembering how his own father used to do it to him all the time. "They weren't embarrassed."

"Somehow, I think they remember it differently…" Hanabi muttered. "Anyway, what's the plan?" she asked, more enthusiastic.

The girl's abrupt shift from irate to almost chirpy no longer surprised Hatake. So excited so early in the morning, eh, Kakashi thought. He decided that they could spend a little more time on a little side trip today. There was a lot of time to bond with his charge, after all.

"Unfortunately, today won't be as interesting as yesterday. But we are still going to see some fascinating places, including a town of Tanzaku, a popular place for gambling."

"Gambling?" Hanabi looked at him incredulously, not liking the idea of visiting a place like that.

"It's not the gambling we are coming for. Tanzaku town is actually a place of historical significance," the masked man explained. "There was once a keep, Tanzaku Castle, but it got destroyed by Orochimaru some time ago."

"If you say so," was the Hyuga's reply. Although not particularly enthusiastic, it was still hopeful.

"Besides," Kakashi insisted, "we need to restock our supplies."

They spent the better part of the morning running, compensating for the time spent at the Glowing Forest. Kakashi watched Hanabi the whole time. The girl was truly relishing their journey. With the wind waving her dark brown locks and a content smile on her face, she looked happy, carefree. Gone was the impassive mask she often attempted to wear in every unfamiliar situation. The glacial, cold veil no longer shielded her gaze, giving way to warm, curious expression. She looked her age, and for the first time in many weeks Kakashi felt like he was accomplishing something invaluable with this impromptu trip. For the first time in his entire life he felt like becoming Hokage, if only to ensure all children in Konoha adopted an expression like the one he was being witness to. He was afraid of this revelation. There was no way, not since he gave up Konoha to Danzou. Once again, he set the troubling thought aside, he will deal with it later. Of course, he ignored the inner voice that reminded him of his tendency to forget about following with his intentions whenever he set something aside 'for later'. No, he thought, this time he really will deal with it after everything is over. Right now, his priority was to complete the mission and give Hanabi a trip she will not forget soon.

They reached Tanzaku town by mid-morning. Even at that time it was bustling with activity. The casinos and other, less respectable establishments were open 24/7, allowing for a constant influx of tourists and money that they brought with them.

Kakashi didn't want to linger there for long, his target destination being the Castle. Once an imposing stronghold, it made the town a strategic point and gave its populace shelter hundreds of years ago, before the appearance of ninjutsu. Over time its function evolved into a popular sight of tourist attraction, serving its intended purpose only in emergencies. Now, Tanzaku Castle was but a pile of rubble.

"Did Orochimaru really do it with only a single technique?" asked Hanabi, seeing for herself the destruction caused by the Snake Sannin.

Kakashi understood her disbelief. The castle was huge, at least forty meters in both height and width. If he weren't a veteran of two World Wars, he too would have had hard time accepting that a single person could possess such tremendous power. He saw for himself Orochimaru's capacity for destruction when the Sannin literally broke through Konoha's enormous wall with his summon during that fateful chunin exams. He supposed Hanabi was immediately whisked away to safety when it happened, so she couldn't see it.

"Yes," he answered, remembering all the times he encountered the criminal. "Orochimaru is one of the most dangerous people I've ever had misfortune of crossing."

Knowing that there were ninja so much more powerful than her was humbling for Hanabi. Perhaps too humbling, as she started to question her abilities and motivation. What was the point in training if there were people out there who could level castles with a flick of a wrist?

"I can't believe he is that strong! I mean, I heard from oneechan that there were super strong people at war. Heck, she told me you and your team were fighting at basically a godlike level! But… seeing it for myself is totally different…"

More real.

Kakashi understood where she was coming from. It is one thing to hear a legend and another to be witness to it. He saw that it affected the girl deeply, much like Naruto was discouraged after their first encounter with Zabuza. Once again, it was his duty as a teacher to reassure his student. He must nip what was plaguing her in the bud, otherwise it may discourage her and negatively impact her confidence.

"Hanabi-chan," he ruffled the girl's hair. "In this world, there are people younger than you and yet…" he paused, a distant memory playing in his head, "stronger than me." Kakashi searched his young charge's eyes for understanding. "There will always be someone stronger or faster or smarter… It doesn't mean that we should stop bettering ourselves. Orochimaru is powerful, but he is alone. I have no doubt he will become insignificant soon. In the end, it will be someone like you or your sister who are going to shape this world. Not Orochimaru."

"What about you?"

Indeed, what about him? Kakashi thought on it for a moment, but it was hardly necessary. He'd been having these thoughts for quite some time.

"I think I'd rather be helping you guys."

Despite the sure tone with which he said it, it seemed to Hanabi like he was asking for a permission. Like he thought that they somehow won't allow it. She frowned, if anyone deserved to take part in Konoha's future, it was Kakashi.

"Good," she stated, turning away from the ruins and looking up at him. "Anyone can shape the world. It's a matter of whether you want to or not."

Kakashi smiled. "It is, isn't it?" This was getting rather philosophical, he thought, but he appreciated Hanabi's encouragement.

"Course it is." And here it was again. The absolute certainty in her voice. "It's not some rubbish, like world peace. It's a fact."

Well, nobody could accuse Hanabi of fancying ideals with that statement.

"Ah, but I do believe in world peace," Kakashi said. "The cycle of hatred–"

"Is bullshit," Hanabi cut him off, her tone calm despite the brash words. "Sandaime used to talk about it a lot. I remember. Every festival or event, he gave this speech about breaking the cycle of hatred and Will of Fire," she huffed. "It's nothing but a nice populism."

Kakashi was surprised. "Didn't know you were so against our dear Hokage's ideals."

The Hyuga girl just shrugged. "The world does not change because of a fancy speech."

"No, it doesn't," he agreed. But people's beliefs do. "You know, I used to be the same. Thought that all this idealistic drivel is just an excuse to pretend that everything is fine and be happy in a world full of crap. Until one knucklehead made me reconsider."

"Naruto?"

"Him too." Afterall, Hanabi couldn't know Obito. He chuckled, "I suppose that makes it several knuckleheads."

"Who else?"

"You and your sister, for instance," Kakashi replied, taking no little amusement at her indignation. "I used to frown at the idea until I was repeatedly proven wrong by people like Naruto. I really thought to myself, 'Is it really impossible?'. And everytime the answer was no, it's not. That it's the matter of whether you want it to be or not," he gave her a smile.

Hanabi looked at Kakashi, astounded. His visage, despite being concealed by the mask, displayed a dreamy, almost longing emotion. He truly believed in what he said, in his wisdom, against his infinite experience of violence and hatred. Hanabi was no fool, she knew the man faced more atrocities and blood and death than most. Yet, he staunchly clung to this belief, to this dream…

'_If a man like him can envisage the future like that… Could long lasting peace really be a possibility?_'

"It is, isn't it?" she said, echoing the man's own words spoken not long ago.

Kakashi spied a thoughtful expression on his charge's face. He patted her head again. The fact that she was thinking about it was enough for the man.

"I was skeptical of those idealistic views at first. Yondaime, Jiraya-sama, Sandaime-sama... They all shared this idea of breaking the circle of hatred. After meeting Naruto, I realized that this dream of world peace is not that far away." He smiled, remembering all the times Naruto managed to convince villains of their wrong. How many people were saved due to that young man's charisma. He saved Obito, and for that alone Kakashi will forever be indebted to the blond knucklehead. "I am not imposing my views on you, all I ask is to keep an open mind to the possibilities. Future generations have this extraordinary talent to exceed our expectations," he finished, looking pointedly at his young charge.

Hanabi blushed at his indirect praise. The sight was too adorable for Kakashi to resist patting the girl one more time. He wondered if Hanabi will give up on arranging her hair sometime in the future if he continued to violate it like that.

"Come on," he told her, turning around from the remnants of the castle, starting to walk away. "We must get back on the road."

"Hey, what about souvenirs!"

At her words Kakashi's pace had only seemed to increase.

Nevertheless, the pair did buy some souvenirs along with their supplies. Who knew that Kakashi Hatake would be so unwilling to part with money? It honestly was pathetic how he haggled for each and every coin. Eventually, Hanabi's patience wore thin and they left the town of Tanzaku, if only to stop Kakashi from further embarrassing himself, and her by extension.

"I can't believe you are so cheap! You did that on purpose, didn't you?" she asked. Knowing him, it was probably at least partially true.

"Don't know what you are talking about. I really do think that those trinkets are a waste of money."

"Says the man who bought two just because I said Hinata will like both of them," teased Hanabi.

That seemed to effectively shut the man up. For once feeling like she won one of their battles of wits, Hanabi focused on the journey. No point in kicking a fallen man, afterall.

They ran the rest of the road, only stopping to eat. They did see some canyons in the background while passing through Land of Rivers but had no time to journey closer. Nevertheless, the view had Hanabi awestruck. Kakashi promised to take her to the Land of Rivers one day, to properly explore its valleys and canyons, as well as to try their famous Curry of Life. She seemed interested, and after he revealed that it caused Neji to lose consciousness, Hanabi was adamant they visit the Curry of Life Shop and she tried that spicy curry of theirs for herself.

By nightfall, they managed to cover most of their trek, leaving lands of Fire and River behind. They now entered the Land of Wind. They passed the border control without a problem, Hanabi making sure to note how tight security was at the border. The fact that even Suna ninjas didn't look at her companion with as much scorn as their Konoha counterparts didn't escape Hanabi's notice.

After moving some distance, the two had finally halted to set up a camp.

Hanabi was never so tired as she was when they stopped running. Every muscle of her body hurt, it felt like, with her legs hurting the most. Despite physically feeling awful, she didn't regret anything. Kakashi had taken the stuffing out of her, pushing her to run at her maximum speed for as long as possible. He'd praised her, saying they covered a two days distance in a day. That, more than anything comforted the girl. She knew that it meant less running and more exploring tomorrow. Thus, after the tents were all set, she plopped down on cool sand and watched Kakashi make fire. The man made her stand up and laid a sleeping bag for her to lie on.

After all was set, they both prostrated on the ground, snacking on some food they bought at Tanzaku.

"You mentioned meeting Orochimaru a few times," Hanabi said, watching the stars, a half-emptied pack of snacks on her stomach.

"Yeah," replied Kakashi, frowning at the messy way Hanabi ate, crumbs all over her chest. "Aside from bumping into him in the village when I was a kid, I also encountered him several times after he defected. Once when I was in ANBU, and a couple of times after."

"Did you fight him?"

Kakashi was silent for a few moments. Hanabi thought he was asleep, but a quick glance at him revealed that the man was still awake. Just pensive.

"I wouldn't call it a fight," he finally replied, taking a handful of food from his own pack. "First time, I froze from the sheer intensity of his killing intent. The other times, I was prepared to fight, but I would've probably lost."

Hanabi looked at her companion, curious.

"Are you embarrassed?" she asked in between her munching.

"More like ashamed, I suppose. But what I feel the most shame about is for not being able to find courage to fight him the first time. He was injured and out of chakra, I am pretty sure I could force a fight and tire him out. I could end it right there. So many could've lived if only I was brave enough to fight…" he trailed off, not looking at her, his mind someplace else, likely reliving that encounter with the Sannin. After that day he swore that he'll never let an enemy intimidate him.

Despite his voice being calm and collected throughout his speech, Hanabi noticed the shift in Kakashi's mood. It was heavy with one emotion she imagined a man like him would always have trouble controlling. Guilt. She didn't know what to say, but she knew what to do.

"Hey, Gray-hair," she propped on her elbow, throwing the crumbs from her bread on him to catch his attention. "I don't know about Sandaime-sama or others surviving, but I know one thing for sure: The War would be different with Orochimaru out." Kakashi directed his gaze at her, and she continued. "From what I was told by oneesan, he saved Naruto and helped fight that nutjob, Madara. So there is no way to say for sure how it all would have ended had you killed Orochimaru. There is no point regretting the past."

She finished her monologue, looking at the older man expectantly. He snorted, then smiled, guilt successfully alleviated from his expression.

"Hinata is right," he muttered, remembering his wife saying that Hanabi can be very mature despite her age.

Hanabi seemed to have heard him, her face scrunched up in righteous indignation. Here she was comforting him and he was thinking about her sister?

"Excuse me, what are you doing, talking about neechan when it was me who gave you advice?"

"Maa, sorry. I just remembered something," he placated. "Thank you, though. You can be wiser than you look."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she screeched, disrupting the comfortable silence of the desert.

Kakashi just smiled and apologized again, before receiving another portion of crumbs to his face.

When the argument settled, they started the conversation anew. They talked of Konoha, of Suna, about Team 7's adventures. Kakashi was a surprisingly good storyteller, Hanabi admitted. His voice was pleasant, mixing with the soft desert wind and lulling her to sleep.

The last thing she saw before falling to slumber was the starry sky. The last thing she heard was Kakashi's smooth voice. She felt comfortable going to sleep. She felt like life was great.

The only thing that would've made it all even better was if Hinata could share that moment with her.

* * *

Hinata looked at the clock on the wall of Shikamaru's basement; it was long past the curfew. She wondered how Hanabi and Kakashi were doing out there. They must've crossed the border by this time. She hoped her sister brings a lot of pictures back (she dug up a camera from Kakashi's closet for a reason).

"Hinata, are you alright?" asked a gentle voice, interrupting her thoughts. Kurenai always looked out for her students' well being.

"Yes, I'm fine."

The Hyuga mentally admonished herself; here they were, discussing important matters concerning Resistance, and her head was filled with thoughts of Kakashi and her sister, as if she was there with them, somewhere across the border of Sand.

Kurenai offered her a sympathetic glance. "It's alright if you worry for your sister. It's her first time outside of Konoha, afterall."

Hinata gave her teacher a smile, before apologizing to her friends for interruption. Shikamaru cleared his throat.

"As I said, Kurenai-sensei has something to share with all of us," Nara continued the meeting, signaling for the retired shinobi to speak.

"We all agree by this point that Kakashi knew about the recent explosion and protected me by making me live at Shikamaru's, right?" Kurenai started, glancing at everyone but especially her sole female student, who surprised her by nodding with fierce conviction. My, what have you gotten yourself into, Kakashi? "Now that that's been cleared out, Shikamaru had received a letter," she said, putting the aforementioned object on the table for everyone to see.

"No name, no address, no nothing," Shikamaru voiced everyone's observation, picking up from where Kurenai has left. "We suspect it also has something to do with Kakashi."

"It's not his handwriting, though," Hinata stated, squinting at the horrible scribble on the white surface.

Ino and Tenten gave her an exasperated look.

"I don't think Shikamaru and Kurenai are accusing him of anything," Shino said, understandingly. Hinata's teammate knew that Copy Ninja was a sensitive topic for her. He feared that his friend could get protective of the man to the point she started acting irrational.

"Shino is right," Shikamaru confirmed. "In fact, this weird letter is of great help regardless of its content."

"I don't see how this could help us in any way," piped in Kiba. "How can we be sure it's not a trap or something?" Akamaru sniffed the letter, handing it for his master to read aloud.

"_Where tree leaves dance…_" Kiba read slowly, trying his best to identify the wobbly letters, "_one will find flames… The fire's shadow will illuminate the village… And once again the tree leaves shall bud anew?" _he finished, accompanied by a confused bark from Akamaru.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! And Akamaru says the letter is untrackable."

"I think what Shikamaru means to say is that the fact that he received such a letter is already a hint," Sai supplied, face completely void of emotion. "Why write such a strange letter if they just wanted to warn us? Couldn't they just write a warning instead of speaking in riddles?"

"I think we can all agree that we need to be more careful from now on," Shikamaru finally brought everyone's attention to the issue. "We've been too careless; the letter is a warning in on itself, the content in this case has no use to us. The fact that we even received such a letter means that somebody at least suspects."

"So, what do I do?" asked Kurenai, already briefed by Shikamaru on the reason for their meeting.

"I have decided that Kurenai-sensei should no longer take part in all this," Shikamaru said, hoping his friends would agree with him."

Shikamaru expected the woman to argue, for which he already made a dozen reasons as to why he was right, but nothing of it was needed. Kurenai's eyes gleamed with understanding as she spoke, "Shikamaru is right, I'm not as good as I used to be." She gave them all a comforting smile. "I'm afraid I won't be of much use anyway, unless it involves genjutsu."

They looked understandingly at the former ninja. She was a single mother with a toddler on her hands, she had her fair share of fight in her life. Time for the younger generation to step up.

The meeting was concluded at that, after which they decided that it would be better if everyone stayed at Shikamaru's for the night. It was too risky for such a big group to leave outside past curfew. If only one of them is spotted they could be in big trouble. Nowadays people were getting interrogated for lesser reasons than breaking a curfew.

Hinata gave one last look at the piece of paper that brought the meeting together, wondering if it really was Kakashi who sent the letter. She was sure Shikamaru realized the implications if it was indeed her husband. She had a suspicion Kakashi did it just to probe for Shikamaru's reaction, to make the Nara more accepting of his true allegiance. Spying a glance at the Nara clan head, it was clear that their leader had a lot to think over.

* * *

**Here we go, folks.**

**I am really grateful for the response I have been getting for this fanfic. I know it is not the best work out there, not even close, but it's still very nice to see that some people enjoy it. There are even some fine gentlemen/ladies who leave regular reviews!**

**Thank you all who read and review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

The second morning of their journey to Suna, Hanabi woke up in a tent. Taking in her surroundings, she was sure she fell asleep outside. It was obvious who relocated her, she realized, searching for Kakashi.

The man was hunching in front of the campfire, with his side towards her. He didn't look up at her, focusing on their breakfast. Hanabi found the image interesting, so she picked up the camera and took a quick picture. The sound of a photograph being taken diverted her target's attention from cooking and he finally turned to her.

"Good morning."

"Morning," the girl replied, still a little sleepy. "What's that?"

"Breakfast."

"Looks like scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and… beans?" she asked, not sure what else that reddish goo could possibly be.

"I've picked the recipe from my travels to the Land of the Sea. Try it, it's good."

Hanabi never tried anything like that for breakfast. What kind of breakfast was so filling? She felt stuffed just by looking at it.

"I thought being surrounded by sea meant to have seafood in your every dish," she stated, picking on her food with her fork.

"Apparently, not every sea is good for seafood industry. They do have lots of fish, though. Come on," he urged when she was trying to eat only the eggs. "It is the best when you eat everything together."

To demonstrate, Kakashi scooped a hearty amount of each component with a spoon and shoved it in his mouth. Of course, a tiny and totally _unnatural_ sandstorm prevented Hanabi from seeing his face. She did not even bother determining the source of this temporary and sudden rise of the wind. Instead, she mimicked her companion, tasting every part of the food together. To his credit, the peculiar dish did taste better that way. Grunting in approval, Hanabi quickly devoured her share.

After eating and packing, the duo went towards Suna in a relatively mild pace. It was a breeze compared to their yesterday's spurt. Despite them being in a desert, Kakashi promised they were going to see much interesting stuff.

"Virtually all of Land of Wind is composed of deserts," Kakashi lectured her. "Oases are the only thing that allows people to survive in here."

Hanabi listened with rapt attention. She loved everything about their journey, even running was somewhat pleasant due to these little lessons of Kakashi's. The freedom she felt in the last couple of days of their mission was exhilarating.

"I remember reading that Suna also had been given a plot of fertile land to farm on by the First Hokage," she told him, remembering her history lessons. She didn't like her tutors, but it didn't mean that they were bad teachers.

"Yes, that is true. Do you know that it is located right near Konoha?" Kakashi then added, to which she shaked her head negatively. "It had been a cause of many disputes between the two villages throughout the years. It's actually one of the things I was hoping to settle during this visit."

His words made the Hyuga think. In retrospect, the idea seemed poorly thought out. Of course, Shodaime had no advantage of witnessing the results of his decision like she had, but still. The issues with logistics alone would deter anyone, not to mention all the scuffles it had the potential to cause in the future.

"I can see you do not approve of his decision," Kakashi's statement cut through her ruminations. "I cannot blame you. Shodaime was a compassionate and charismatic ruler, his strength being his ability to sway others to his way of thinking." Not dissimilar to Naruto. "It is his brother, Lord Second, who was the farsighted one. I imagine he would've agreed with you."

"What do _you_ think, then?" Hanabi inquired, genuinely curious of his opinion. Kakashi remembered what Hinata once told him, that her little sister would only ask for someone's opinion if she respected it.

"I think," he said after a little pondering, "Lord First's decision was more of a gesture, rather than an attempt for a solution." He then elaborated, "Shodaime suggested it during the very first Kage Summit. You can imagine tensions were through the roof." He smiled, seeing understanding flash in his charge's eyes. "So, in order to show the right way, to lead by example so to speak, Lord First proposed several agreements. One of them was that Konoha allocates some of its more fertile lands to Suna. They've always had a problem sustaining their village."

"So, what you are saying is that all the villages gained something from the agreements?"

"Yes. In a way."

"But I always thought we didn't gain anything from the agreements. Apart from the Kyubi…" Hanabi urged him to explain.

"It is true that Konoha did not negotiate for lands, resources, or any materialistic riches directly. We benefited from trading agreements, but that is all. No reparations, no reimbursements for damage were negotiated for from our side. We only asked for the return of war prisoners and Kyubi."

A caravan was passing by them at that moment, and Kakashi's gaze was as disinterested as ever, but just as sharp. It was clear he paid as much attention to their surroundings as to their conversation. Deeming the caravan as a non-threat, Kakashi took a swig from his flask and continued.

"This further proves the cunning of Tobirama Senju," he said, wiping his lips and putting the mask back on, "for a man like him would never allow Shodaime to give out such opportunities without a gain. You see, by being so generous Konoha gained a reputation of a more fair and noble hidden village. It also allowed us to ask for Kyubi, who is by far the strongest Tailed Beast. Tobirama knew the extent of Kyubi's power, being the one to research it. The others just knew that Nine-Tails is the strongest, they had no idea just how strong he is compared to the others."

"So, what you are saying is, Konoha's actions were just a front, and there was a selfish intent behind it?" Hanabi didn't sound disappointed at all. The girl understood more about politics than most of his generation at her age. Kakashi had no doubt she'd make for a great ruler one day.

"Yes and no. Shodaime knew that Konoha will gain more than it would seem, but I believe his main objective was establishment of peace and diplomatic relations between the Hidden Villages. The concept of leaders of five strongest shinobi villages gathering under one roof to resolve their problems via a dialogue rather than battle… It was unheard of at the time. Shodaime and his brother the Second understood the importance of this first Summit's success. It had to result at least in some profit for all parties involved to establish the practice."

"Wow," was all Hanabi said. It was much more complicated than what she thought, and yet much simpler at the core of it.

"Indeed. To this day the first Kage Summit remains a textbook example of negotiations that benefit all, both short-term and long-term."

"First Hokage's goal was not to gain advantage during those negotiations. It was to show others that negotiations themselves can work!" the girl exclaimed; face lit up with her revelation.

"More or less. And it was a success, because since then Kage's regularly met and discussed the state of the world. The number of skirmishes and casualties dropped markedly after the first Summit, while the number of individual meetings between Kages increased considerably, indicating a negative correlation between the diplomacy and losses."

After his lecture, Hanabi took some time to digest all the information. It wasn't long because she turned to Kakashi again.

"So, what are you planning to do with the land?" she asked, regarding the fertile land given to Suna by their village.

"I plan to negotiate a better deal for Konoha. As of now, Suna is paying Konoha a rent for the land, but no other agreements have been made, including about the duration of the rent." Hanabi nodded in understanding; it didn't seem fair to give Suna their good land indefinitely. "People farming the land are from Suna, and there are quite a few of them. Normally, they would be allowed to enter Konoha freely, provided they have documents. However, because of Danzou's policy, access to Konoha has been heavily restricted. This damages our relationship with Suna, as well as our economy, since the farmers used to contribute to it significantly. I got Danzou's permission to lift restrictions for farmers, only if I get better conditions for Konoha in this agreement."

Hanabi understood that as well. There really was no valid reason to prevent Suna farmers and contractors from entering Konoha. They could be spies, but so could any other visitor. Danzou did tighten the border control and immigration policy, but it started to get to a point of absurdity recently.

"That is my main objective. Of course, in order to get us even more benefit from this already disadvantageous to Suna deal, we have to offer something back to them. I want to help Gaara, their Kazekage, to stabilize his position."

Kakashi stopped their run, briefly looking around and consulting with his map before signaling them to continue going. What use was the map when sand was all they had around them? Hanabi didn't get to ponder on it as the jounin spoke up again.

"Current Kazekage is young, and he received the position as a result of the assassination of the previous Kazekage. As such, he is viewed by many as lacking competence. Many anti-Kazekage groups are being formed in Sunagakure, destabilizing the situation. They spread rumors, cause discord within shinobi ranks, even go as far as assassination attempts on Kazekage and his close advisors."

"If you help them deal with all that, they will probably allow certain concessions…" Hanabi mulled.

"Exactly. This way everyone gets what they wanted."

"How are you planning to eliminate an underground rebellion group as well as any potential political factions that side with their ideas? We have only a couple of days until we go back to Konoha."

Hanabi's question was perfectly valid.

"I have some things in mind," was the Copy Nin's cryptic reply.

"Well, you better…" murmured the girl, skeptical.

After their conversation ended, they picked up the pace and spent the rest of the day mostly running.

They had many breaks, the harsh desert sun tiring them much quicker. Oases they encountered were a nice reprieve, allowing them to replenish the water they lost, as well as to cool down. Hanabi marveled at mirages they saw, every time going to check if it was an illusion or if there really was a pond in the middle of all the sand. Desert was stretching in every direction, countless dunes, the sea of sand. A small wind was passing by sometimes, slowly moving the yellow waves and reshaping the landscape. A rare plant they encountered stood proud, its mere presence in this lifeless place reason enough for amazement. But the desert was never devoid of life, Kakashi knew. Its inhabitants, despite being inconspicuous, were numerous. They mostly acted at night, but even during the day Kakashi and Hanabi spotted some lizards and scorpions. Desert is beautiful in its own way, she'd told him, and he couldn't disagree. Konoha's forests were prettier though, she added. He only chuckled in response.

Couldn't argue with that either.

It was growing dark when they finally arrived at the gates of Sunagakure no Sato. They were promptly met by Kazekage's sister, Temari, accompanied by an impressive entourage of guards. The first thing Kakashi noticed was how young those guards were. None of them looked older than twenty and that, coupled with their relaxed demeanor, were a major determinant of how Kakashi would direct this meeting. He supposed Suna wanted to manage their forces efficiently by using green shinobi for menial tasks like guard duties, but being a covert operations expert, Kakashi couldn't be happier at the opportunity it provided him. There were many ways to exploit your enemy's inexperience.

After the customary greetings, Temari led them to their accommodation during their temporary stay. Hanabi nearly cringed everytime Kakashi bugged the woman in his attempts at small talk. Either he was doing it on purpose, or he really was a dunce when it comes to talking to people. Hanabi figured it was a bit of both. Temari, to her credit, showed remarkable ability at looking unbothered, probably long used to the man's weirdness.

"By the way," the masked ninja asked, as aloof as ever. "Can you recommend a place to try your famous Sand Dumplings? Me and my bodyguard," he gestured towards Hanabi, making everyone blink in surprise at the twelve-year-old, "are starving after the journey."

"She is your bodyguard?" asked Temari in disbelief. Some of the guards started quietly whispering among themselves.

"A guard, advisor, as well as a friend," was his cheerful reply, making said friend uncomfortable with all the attention.

"Alright," their guide coughed, still not quite convinced of the man's sanity, "there is a place just around the corner."

"Splendid! Let's head right there."

Hanabi was as surprised by Kakashi's declaration as everyone else. She quickly recovered, however, and was able to watch others. She noted with amazement how that little scene had shaken up their whole group. The mood changed instantly, with some guards loosening up. Hanabi realized that it was Kakashi's objective all along – to use all the weirdness to his advantage. He seemed adept at doing that now that she thought about it. The Hyuga heiress smirked when nobody was looking at her; now Kakashi was controlling the situation.

Just like that, Kakashi brought everyone, including their guards to a small dango shop. The owner was taken aback at first, not everyday you see Kazekage's sister accompanied by a dozen shinobi barge into your small café. They thronged there awkwardly, Kakashi being the only one seemingly unaffected.

"Fifteen portions of your delicious Sand Dumplings, please," he said to the owner, startling him.

While they awaited their dango, he gestured Temari and Hanabi to sit with him at the table. He then asked the guards if they wanted to take a sit too, their response being some incoherent mumbling. He shrugged, joining all the available tables, making one large table for everyone to sit at. Temari watched, bewildered, as their guards clumsily arranged themselves around, taking their places. One of them even volunteered to bring the order when it was ready.

When their dango was done, Kakashi offered it to everyone. The guards were cautious at first, but eventually he managed to cajole them. Hanabi didn't know how, but somehow Kakashi's eccentric aura had made everyone unwind. Wasn't long before everyone was eating, engaged in casual conversation. Hanabi liked the dumplings, they looked like sand and even had the texture of sand. Luckily, they didn't share its taste. She'd had enough of it during their run here.

After their meal, Kakashi and Hanabi were escorted to their quarters. Temari, despite being the only one who was suspicious of Kakashi's actions, did a good job not showing it. They politely wished each other good night, before parting their ways. Now only Kakashi and Hanabi were left, in a joint hotel room.

"I can't believe you just had dinner with our escort!" Hanabi exclaimed.

"Relax, Hanabi-chan. It was all according to plan."

Hanabi perked up. Here were her suspicions confirmed.

"Don't tell me you did it on purpose," she asked, to which he nodded immediately.

"I did it for several reasons. First off, it confused them–"

"No doubt," the girl commented, remembering their bewildered faces and Temari's exasperated one.

"It will help to change our image. If we act as expected, they will think of us as expected, meaning we will be Danzou's ruthless ambassadors. Now, their perception of us will be different, if only a little."

He allowed Hanabi to think on it, before continuing.

"Also, I managed to pick up on the general mood of Suna shinobi from observing the guards during our shared meal," he said, shaking his head at their unprofessionalism. "I also heard some rumors, as I'm sure you have as well. Temari did not interrupt the guards, could be for various reasons, but I think she just didn't think it to be that important."

"You are just using her inexperience to gain advantage in negotiations!"

"If you put it that way…" the masked man shrugged. "Anyways, lets go to sleep, I am pooped."

Now that was a suggestion Hanabi gladly followed.

* * *

On the morning of the next day, they were greeted by another member of Kazekage's family, Kankuro. The man did not seem to be in good spirits. Fortunately, it didn't look like his guests were the reason for his sour disposition. Hanabi tentatively asked him what was wrong. It seemed appropriate to be cordial to their hosts.

It looked like Kankuro just realized that his expression might offend them. "I apologize," he said as graciously as possible. "I just received an invoice confirming an order for fifteen portions of dango…"

Kankuro took out the offending piece of paper and smacked it once with the back of his hand, as if it would make the bill disappear. He showed it to his guests, before shoving it back into his pocket. That was strange, because Hanabi was sure Kakashi ordered the same amount at the dumpling shop yesterday...

She looked at her companion questioningly.

'_Don't tell me he…_' She didn't even know whether she should laugh or be horrified at Kakashi's dare. Putting your order on Kazekage's brother's tab? Really?

Copy Ninja just gave an innocent smile, prudently changing the topic. "Kankuro-sama, I believe we are being waited for," he reminded.

"Yes," their escort cleared his throat, "follow me."

Everyone was already present when they finally entered the conference room. Notwithstanding, they weren't late. Still didn't prevent the Hyuga from getting nervous.

Hanabi sat beside Kakashi, trying to mimic everything he did as best as she could. Kankuro and Temari sat at each side of their brother Gaara, the Kazekage. The two parties were facing each other at the opposite sides of a large rectangular table, with other Suna advisors sitting across.

No papers were on the table, not even the encrypted ones – a bad sign Kakashi thought, since their absence meant they didn't trust them not to snoop. It was sensible, for any ninja worth their salt would easily be able to peep on the papers. The only paper in the room was held by Temari, Kazekage's main advisor. She had it on a clipboard she held in her hands, so that there was no way for Kakashi to see its content.

"Greetings, Kakashi-sama," Gaara started. His voice was hard and gritty, much like the sand he commanded, tiredness seeping through each word he uttered. "I hope everything went smoothly upon your arrival?"

"Oh yes. Temari-sama made sure everything was to our liking. Your dumplings are quite delectable, if I may say so myself. Why, just this morning Kankuro-sama told me he received an order for fifteen of them, no less!"

That remark made Hanabi wince. Everyone in the room looked confusedly at Kakashi.

'_This guy is insane_' she thought, nervously watching Temari for any signs of recognition. If she took any note of Kakashi's words, she didn't show it on her face.

"Certainly," Gaara cleared his throat, not sure how to respond to that seemingly out of the blue praise of their local cuisine. "Shall we start?"

"As you please," Hanabi heard her companion calmly say.

And so began their negotiations.

Four hours into their discussion, and still no agreement was reached. Two sides argued back and forth, not willing to step back even a little. Suna did not wish to give up their concessions while Kakashi couldn't back down on behalf of Konoha. It looked like those farmers will have to manage without their village leaders reaching an agreement.

Hanabi was apprehensive the whole time. It was her first negotiations, and very serious too! Despite her nerves, the atmosphere was far from volatile. Kakashi somehow managed to diffuse the tensions with his random commentaries and aloof aura that he expertly switched on and off in a flash. It would've been really off-putting had it not been the sole thing that made those talks more or less civil – everyone was just too busy trying to comprehend the weird man from Konoha.

"I think it is clear that these negotiations will not go anywhere today," Kakashi said after a borderline rude remark of one of Suna's councilors, not even deigning a look at the man. He looked Gaara in the eye instead, noting a displeased expression from the young Kazekage at his subordinate's behavior.

"Perhaps tomorrow will be more fruitful," Kazekage agreed, trying to smoothen the conclusion. He did not believe a single word he said.

Unlike the Copy Ninja, it seemed.

"I am sure it will."

Kakashi's expression when uttering those words was that of someone coming to a cinema already knowing the movie was going to be good. Hanabi wasn't sure if she liked it.

Suddenly, the last Hatake stood and came up to the Kazekage who, to his credit, remained seated and unfazed. The only ones who reacted were Gaara's siblings, who immediately blocked the masked man's path. The other Suna officials just observed with calculating eyes, each waiting how everything would play out.

Kakashi just lifted his hands in a placating manner, friendly expression still firmly plastered on his face.

"I just wanted to shake hands with Kazekage-sama," was all he said.

They looked at him suspiciously. Thankfully, no one was tactless enough to pull out their weapons on Konoha representative.

"Temari, Kankuro, it's fine," they heard Gaara say, his voice infinitely more tired than it had been in the morning before everything started.

Immediately, the siblings stood aside, allowing Kakashi to pass. He shook hands with Suna's leader and wished him good day. On his way back, he stopped and picked up a paper from the floor.

"Must've fell when Temari-sama stood up," he said, handing it back to Gaara, as if she didn't jump from her chair for Kazekage's rescue, scattering all the papers she'd been holding.

"Thank you." Kazekage looked surprised but thanked Konoha nin anyway. He took the proffered paper, a surprised expression crossing his face upon seeing what was written on it.

"Well, I hope some day we could meet in a less formal condition," Kakashi said, loud enough for the three siblings to hear. He then looked at Gaara, the same look as he'd given him a minute ago. "The dumplings are particularly good for dinner."

Something told the young Kazekage that he was being covertly communicated with.

When everyone apart from his brother and sister was dismissed, Gaara still kept his eyes at the paper given to him by Kakashi. It was Kankuro's bill for the dumplings. It was a regular invoice, but one thing stood out to Gaara. The word 'private' in '_Private invoice' _was underlined.

"Hey, what are you– Where did you get that?" Kankuro asked, seeing that his brother was holding his invoice for dango.

This caused even more suspicion in young Kazekage. There was no way Kankuro would lose his invoice, not to mention that it couldn't possibly come from Temari, which meant Kakashi didn't get it from the floor. Copy Nin stole the invoice and intentionally gave it back to him.

"Did you write anything on it?" Gaara asked his older brother.

"Why would I write anything on it?"

His suspicions were pretty much confirmed. Kakashi was the one to emphasize the word 'private' on the invoice. He mentioned the dumpling shop twice during their negotiations, once at the beginning and once right before he left, the best times to make it memorable. Both times it came seemingly randomly. Random isn't in someone like Kakashi Hatake's style. Everything that man did had a purpose. It unnerved him before, but now he understood what the strange ninja meant. Everything pointed to Kakashi asking for a private audience, and through a dumpling bill no less!

Come evening, Gaara sat at the corner table of the same dumpling shop Kakashi visited yesterday, his two siblings by his side. They were all disguised of course, the disguise won't fool a good ninja, but it will prevent civilians from noticing them.

"Are you sure he will come?" his sister asked, masked as an old lady. "We've been waiting here for almost an hour."

"Yeah, I think the sight of dango will make me sick if we don't leave soon," Kankuro butted in, having been eating dumplings the whole time to maintain their roles of grandparents and their grandson dining in a dumpling café.

"He said dangos are good for dinner. Which probably meant he wants to talk at dinner time," Gaara explained for umpteenth time.

'_He just conveniently forgot to mention when the dinner was supposed to start_' the red head thought, patiently sipping his jasmine tea.

Suddenly, the doors of the shop fluttered open, revealing a young man of inconspicuous appearance. He looked around, as if searching for someone, before his eyes stopped at their table. He went straight towards where they were seated at the far corner.

"Hi there," he said. "The dumplings are really good for dinner."

There was no doubt it was him, thought Gaara, remembering Kakashi's last words to him earlier. He greeted their "friend", allowing him to take a sit.

"So, you wanted to talk," Temari addressed the man, pushing a plate of dango towards him.

"Oh yes! I also want to help," the man whom they have already identified as Kakashi said. "But before we start, I'd like to present the lady with a gift," he smiled charmingly at Kazekage's sister, before pulling out a brand-new book and handing it to the confused woman. She accepted it graciously but didn't look at the cover. "Now, I heard you have a… pest problem," he continued, as if a random gift wasn't odd in the least.

"Pest problem?" Gaara repeated. He could hear Temari's indignant mutters from beside him. She seemed to finally take a look at her gift and judging by her reaction, she didn't appreciate the present.

"Yeah, they never seem to like you, them pests," Kakashi continued meanwhile, unfazed by Temari's reaction. "I know that you are a _fifth _person to get the house, so the problem is probably caused by those before you. By the way, I heard that the previous owner, the one before you, died recently. Bit by a _snake_, can you believe that?!"

The trio of siblings shared suspicious looks. It can't be, they thought.

Kakashi kept rambling, nonchalant.

"...He was a rich man. I heard he traded _gold_. Talk about money buying everything, eh?" he smiled. "Anyway, enough of gossip, how have you guys been lately?"

Gaara was perplexed by this man's ability to give double meanings to every casual conversation. His seemingly unmindful chatter had implied their father, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage. By the looks of it, his siblings had also gotten his hints. They were frowning, not comfortable with their father's death being discussed in such a light manner.

'_If he meant Fourth Kazekage by that previous owner, then what did he mean by pests?_'

Gaara had his guess: anti-Kazekage groups.

"The pests," he started; if he had to play along then so be it, "don't seem to be numerous. However, I'm afraid they multiply quickly."

Kakashi grinned, glad he got the message across. The same look of understanding passed between Temari and Kankuro, too.

"I'll exterminate them tomorrow," Kakashi said.

"Surely you cannot mean to get rid of them all in one day?" clarified Temari, a look of disbelief clear on her face.

"Well, maybe not every single on of them… But the _biggest _rats, for sure."

So he meant to eliminate the leaders of anti-Kazekage movement? If he managed that, it would help Gaara immensely.

On the other hand, Suna's security needed major improvements if Konoha was able to gather as much information about their village's internal state of affairs.

"How much do you usually take?" Gaara asked, sure that Konoha nin would demand something in return.

"Well, you are _friends,_ so…" Kakashi tapped his chin, clearly enjoying himself. "Tell you what, the discussion we had before, if you can do all of that, consider it a deal."

The man spoke that last part with steel in his voice. Kazekage understood that it meant 'agree to our terms or there is no deal'.

"Alright," Gaara finally said, thinking a moderately unfavorable agreement worth the stability of the Village Hidden in the Sand. They do get Suna farmers allowed to enter Konoha, after all, despite other disadvantageous demands. "Tomorrow it is, then."

With those final words, the trio of siblings stood up and left. Kakashi happily took the dango they left behind and went back to the hotel. He needed to dismiss his shadow clone and take his place in his room. Hopefully, his stealth skills were better than that of those assigned to spy on him.

When Kakashi was finally back in his suite, he was fairly sure nobody noticed his absence. Glad to know his ANBU skills have not deteriorated, he went to preparations for his plan.

Their hotel was good. Aside from a desk and some essential stationery, there even were letter envelopes. Perfect. He immediately sat at the desk and started working.

"What are you writing?" asked Hanabi, entering his room after some time. She too, tried to keep an eye on their surroundings, regularly using her Byakugan to check the perimeter around their hotel.

The girl was probably bored, so Kakashi decided to let her in to his plan. He didn't have any doubt that he could trust her with this.

"Letters," he said.

Hanabi looked at the content of the letter he was writing and gasped.

"_Tomorrow Kazekage will be assassinated_," she read quietly. "What does that mean? Who are you writing to?"

The Hyuga girl looked horrified. Surely, she wouldn't think that he…

"These are for Kazekage's council and advisors," Kakashi explained, chuckling. "Tell me, if you received a letter like that, what would you do?"

Upon hearing his explanation, Hanabi let a sigh of relief.

"Well, I must warn my Kage, regardless. If the information is true, Hokage-sama will be prepared. If it is not, then nothing happens. At least we are not taking any chances."

Hanabi's reply was immediate. He was glad his young charge was such a good pupil. He patted her head for a job well done, much to the girl's irritation.

"Exactly," Kakashi said, putting his finished letter into its envelope. "Which means if you don't tell your Kage about it you are either a fool or a traitor."

The girl's eyes widened in understanding.

"You want to test Kazekage's subjects' loyalty!"

He nodded. "And you will help me."

And so, he began dispensing the letters. He had to do it manually, delivering each letter to its recipient's doorstep, sometimes breaking into their house and putting it on their beds. Hanabi was entrusted with information gathering. Her Byakugan was a great help in avoding security and finding the best route for them to enter their targets' houses. Once the last letter was safely delivered, the pair went back to their hotel. They were careful to take a convoluted route and change their appearance several times before finally entering. Kakashi was glad he taught Hanabi his disguise jutsu, the girl was talented indeed, picking it up in the short few days they traveled.

Hanabi could no longer contain her excitement once their suite's door closed behind them.

"I can't believe we did this!" she told him eagerly, plopping onto her bed, face up. "What's next?"

The girl was enthusiastic, he gave her that.

"Did you manage to find anything useful while I was meeting with Gaara earlier?" Kakashi asked by way of answering her question.

"Yeah, I think…" Hanabi replied. "It is mostly shinobi who are unsatisfied with the current Kazekage, and even then, it is the minority. Most of Suna's ninjas respect Gaara for what he did for the village. Those who do not, though, are pretty vocal. They slander him and his siblings, blame them for every bad thing that happened to the village." Why did that sound familiar to the Copy Ninja? "There seems to be little organization right now, though. That's what people say, anyway, and I don't think there is any threat of open rebellion yet."

"They must be desperate," commented Kakashi, remembering his observations of their escort when they had just arrived. "I was afraid they are an organized group, like Danzou's Root, but it seems they are just some bitter shinobi scheming half-baked intrigues. Good job, Hanabi-chan."

"I also heard rumors that some big shots in the government are not much opposed to Gaara leaving the position of Kazekage."

"Probably true. I doubt they are planning a full-blown overthrow any time soon, but they are preparing. Readying the soil, so to speak. The assassinations, the slander, the rumors… All of it creates a toll on the Kazekage."

When he said that, Hanabi couldn't help but notice how tired Kakashi himself looked at that moment. It was clear that his words could be applied to his own position in Konoha. Afterall, one can only endure so much until all the stress starts taking its toll. The Hyuga stood up from her bed and approached her older companion, punching his shoulder shyly.

"Hey," she said, trying to smile cheerfully, "you alright?"

Kakashi looked at her, surprised by her uncharacteristic sentimentality. He grinned openly, the mask stretching under his smile, before ruffling Hanabi's hair affectionately. She, of course, protested half-heartedly, but still smiled back.

They stood in companionable silence for a few more seconds, before Kakashi spoke up.

"Fortunately, Gaara's reputation and actions prevent all these opportunists from acting. We will wait till tomorrow," he said, banking on someone getting caught as a result of his "assassination letter plan".

The problem with unstable governments was that those who are indifferent to the current state of things could easily sway to the enemy's side if given enough incentive. Kakashi suspected that most of Suna's officials would go with the flow should Gaara be deposed, but would never actively seek to overthrow him. Thus, they would never plan something like assassination themselves. However, should a warning about Kazekage's planned murder appear, they will be more likely to withhold that information.

Kakashi just hoped that somebody would take the bait and do exactly as he expected.

* * *

Tomorrow's meeting started as inertly as yesterdays. After all the formalities, Kakashi decided to cut to the chase.

"Good to see everyone again," he started. "Allow me to digress from our current agenda and speak to the esteemed Kazekage."

Gaara and his siblings were not surprised by his antics. Having talked with the Copy Nin the day before, they had already expected something like that. The other Suna officials, though, were properly surprised. Not waiting for someone to object, Kakashi continued.

"I am aware that Kazekage-sama received warnings, probably even shown letters regarding his planned assassination today."

The mood in the room had completely shifted. Kakashi carefully looked at each person, gauging their reaction. As expected, some showed surprise, some indignation. Yet some had a completely blank expression on their face. Those, in Kakashi's experience, were often the ones to look out for.

"What are you–"

"I want to ask you, Kazekage-sama," Kakashi interrupted one particularly scandalized councilor, "who, out of all present in this room, did not warn you of this letter?"

Again, he carefully watched everyone's reaction. People were shocked, but it was understandable. Afterall, why would anybody conceal such an important information from their Kazekage? One person, however, a middle-aged severe looking man, was starting to show signs of nervousness. It was subtle, but to Kakashi's trained ANBU eyes it was obvious.

Copy Nin was glad that those weeks spent at studying reports on Suna's internal affairs didn't go to waste. He spent quite a bit of his time preparing for this very moment, and Kakashi felt confident that today will be a win for both villages.

Gaara looked thoughtful. He too had leaned into his chair and looked at his advisors and council members. After a short pause, he replied.

"Only one of my subordinates hasn't told me anything about this letter of yours," he said, fixing his gaze at the man Kakashi suspected. Gaara seemed to understand what Kakashi was trying to do. "Nobu-dono, would you like to explain?"

Said man was looking distressed by the second. He struggled for words, panic briefly flickering in his hard eyes.

"You must forgive me, Kazekage-sama, but I don't understand what Konoha is saying about the letters and assassinations," he feigned ignorance, measuring a suspicious glare towards the masked ninja.

"Oh really?" asked Kakashi, each syllable making a noose around Nobu's neck ever so tighter. "Then you must forgive me for saiying that you are a liar, Nobu-san. I had my companion deliver each letter to every single Suna council member in this room," Copy Nin said, gesturing towards Hanabi who sat beside him, eliciting a collective gasp from said council.

Hanabi was shocked, but outwardly did not show it. For Kakashi to give the credit to her, it had to be part of his plan. Before, he called her his bodyguard and advisor, now he said that she could sneak to the private residences of Suna's top officials undetected… It was clear that Kakashi was trying to create a reputation for her, probably intending for her to use it in the future. Indeed, the occupants of the room started whispering among each other, likely discussing the "Hyuga prodigy" Kakashi brought with him to the meeting.

"Wait a minute, you wrote those letters?" asked another advisor, returning everyone's attention back to the subject at hand. A wave of indignant murmurs washed over the room.

"Kakashi-sama's explanation will wait," cut the Kazekage, effectively silencing everyone. "Right now, I want to hear Nobu-dono. Why is that other councilors warned me, and you haven't?"

The man addressed only now understood that he was cornered. Others won't help him, not with Kazekage praising them for their loyalty with his last remark. If he played stupid from the start, claiming that he didn't want to bother Kazekage with the letter he was sure was fake, he would lose his position, but at least would keep his life. Now, when he already claimed ignorance, there was no way out. He'd dug his own grave. He could claim that Konoha was trying to frame him, but in any case, the protocol is an investigation, which was sure to discredit him.

"I think Nobu-sama will not mind an interrogation and his house getting searched," spoke one advisor helpfully. "A suspicious situation such as this warrants an investigation."

There was a hum of agreement from the others. Kakashi grinned under his mask. These people were sure quick to throw their colleague under the horses. It seemed Nobu shared his assessment. The man suddenly stood up, looking furious, his chair falling over at the floor with a loud clang.

"Sniveling sycophants!" he yelled, enraged. "Licking a fledgling's boots. Look at you, smarming before a child!"

"That's quite enough, Nobu-san," Kazekage's voice was hard and commanding. "If you have any problem with me, I am always happy to listen. However, I will not stand for this disrespect, nor will I tolerate any undercover intrigues."

With those words Gaara measured a meaningful glance at everyone in the room, before making a signal. Several shinobi appeared out of nowhere, arresting Nobu.

"I served under two Kazekages before you, pup," Nobu said, turning to Gaara. "Lord Third was strong, a real leader. He would've squashed those anti-Kazekage groups during the first week of their emergence. You can sit and play Kage with those dogs," he throwed a contemptuous look towards the council, "but you'll never be my Kazekage."

Nobu's words were gruff, he looked like he meant what he said. A heavy atmosphere hung in the room after the man was taken away. Not a single soul dared to say anything. Kakashi quietly shook his head – these kind of people were the most dangerous.

"Leave us," Gaara barked, addressing his council. "I would like to speak with Konoha in private."

Everyone hurriedly left, not wanting to incur any further wrath from their Kazekage.

"Temari, Kankuro, that means you too."

Brother and sister understood. Gaara wanted to treat every one of his advisors equally, making them leave too will show that he was not biased towards his siblings. Once everyone cleared the conference room, leaving only the Kazekage, Kakashi and Hanabi, Gaara started.

"You planned this from the start."

"I did," Kakashi admitted.

Kazekage was silent. He looked at the masked man for a long while, as if searching for something. Finally, he spoke again.

"I am grateful for your help." He sighed, "A deal is a deal, Sunagakure accepts the conditions of this agreement," he said, tapping the papers on the table before him.

Young Kazekage looked tired, like he would rather face another assassination attempt than deal with politics. Nevertheless, this had been an important lesson. He bowed to Kakashi, steeling his expression back to guarded politeness.

"I am teaching my… sister-in-law," Kakashi suddenly started, gesturing towards Hanabi, surprising Gaara. "She is a Hyuga clan heiress. I want to make her understand that being a leader means to constantly face your shortcomings."

Gaara looked curious, but didn't speak, allowing the older man to continue.

"That doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't stop trying. A leader will have to make a decision that some people won't like or agree with. No matter what you do, your decision will be wrong in some person's eyes. A leader must be confident, even when facing their incompetence."

This seemed to resonate within the Kazekage. He bowed, this time a little deeper. He'd tried to appease to everyone but forgot that it was impossible to begin with. Instead of trying to always reach a compromise and being afraid to act, he should've listened to his heart and be decisive. Afterall, a Kazekage is not one who makes everyone comfortable, it is the one who makes everyone _better_.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sama."

They called the others in and finalized the agreement. Suna accepted the terms. There were some who objected, suspicious of Kazekage's talk with Konoha. However, Gaara's resolve had quickly put them in line. Everyone saw, their Kazekage changed after his talk with Konoha shinobi. His eyes, though still tired, held a newfound vigor. Before them stood a man confident in his decisions. Some of the older council members could have sworn they saw glimpses of Lord Third when their Kazekage was dealing with Nobu. They were not born yesterday, Suna was bound to accept these terms one way or another. Advisors objected, but it was but a cover, they did not want to appear weak. They were hoping their Kage would take the burden of making this disadvantageous decision for them. Suna did not need a proud Kazekage, she did not even need an experienced one. What Suna needed was a brave and confident leader, who would unite the people under him.

They expected to hear of anti-Kazekage groups no more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

Hinata could no longer stand the pitiful looks people were giving her these recent days.

She was at the market, picking eggplants for Kakashi's favorite dish, before deciding she's had enough of their sympathy. Quickly paying, she rushed home, trying to cover the dark blue bruise on her left eye with a hood. Almost a week had passed since her spar with Kakashi, and the damn thing was still as noticeable as when she'd just gotten it.

She was a daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, she knew the rumors were bound to appear. She just didn't expect people to be so obvious about it. When she went out to town, people noticed her black eye, immediately jumping to conclusions. Even her friends and family were prone to it. It took a lot of convincing to persuade them from taking revenge on Kakashi for his supposed abuse of her. Her father was rather angry, but not 'I'm going to kill him' kind of angry. It was more of a displeased expression. After a short explanation from her he quickly went back to his stoic self. Hinata didn't know if he believed her or just didn't care enough. She hoped he was angry on behalf of his daughter and not the clan's honor.

She thought locking herself up in the house for the time being would solve the problem; that people would forget about her soon enough. Well, she was mistaken. Apparently, it was enough for a handful of people to see her bruise, before it became an object of gossip for the whole village.

She sighed looking at the food she brought, relieved that at least she did not forget anything in her haste. Kakashi and Hanabi were supposed to come today. They left six days ago, and from what she knew, it takes three days just to travel. No matter how you look at it, they had to rush on their way back if they wanted to arrive today. She hoped they won't encounter those rumors, although with the way everyone was talking about it, it seemed unlikely. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

"Neesan, I'm back."

Hinata stood and went to greet Hanabi and Kakashi. She was met with her little sister only.

"Welcome back, Hanabi-chan," she said. "Where is Kakashi?"

"He had some urgent business. We had to rush all the way from Suna." She huffed, "He carried me most of the way."

'_Because she couldn't keep up_' Hinata finished for her. Well, she thought, it must be really important if he raced the way back. Hopefully it was nothing concerning her bruise, her father did promise to not pursue the issue.

"Come on," she said, "help me with cooking."

Hinata smirked when she heard her sister asking what exactly they were cooking.

Hanabi's whining was inevitable as soon as she saw the eggplant.

* * *

Kakashi sat at the table of a spacious guest room. Councilor Homura's house was ancient, but sturdy and tastefully built. He had no time appreciating the patterns on a rosewood table as its owner and his colleague were watching him. Homura and Koharu were a contentious pair, but not unreasonable. He hoped their loyalty to Konoha outweighed their pride in the upcoming conversation. Danzou expected him to make them retire by the end of this week, and he had until tomorrow to convince them. He had only himself to blame if this doesn't work, he spent most of his time on a trip to Suna after all.

"Esteemed councilors, Homura-sama, Koharu-sama," he started.

"Spare us the pleasantries," Koharu cut him off. "Why are you here? In case you didn't know, we are busy people, you better have a good reason to disturb our already scant resting time."

"Of course," he replied smoothly, leveling the pair with a business-like look. "It is about Danzou."

Koharu raised an eyebrow. Homura kept his face impassive. It seemed the old councilman was content letting the woman do the talking.

"What is it about our Lord Hokage?" the tone in Koharu's voice barely concealed irritation.

"He wants you to retire," Kakashi bluntly spoke. "Your and Konoha's interests no longer align."

Koharu huffed, hardly surprised by Hatake's words, "You mean our and Danzou's interests."

"You know Danzou longer than I do," the masked man spoke, ignoring her reply. "I am sure I don't need to tell you that he is used to get what he wants."

"So, he would kill us," finished Homura.

For a moment, a tiny, dim glimmer of hurt passed across both councilors' eyes. Danzou was their lifelong friend afterall. Even after all these years of dealing with the ruthless man the remnants of a bond they'd made during their childhood seemed to persist, a testament to Konoha's famous Will of Fire.

"And I am sure you didn't come here just to warn us," Koharu spoke up again, graciously recovering. Whatever emotion that was present a moment ago completely wiped from her hard eyes.

"No," Kakashi nodded. "I came here to convince you to retire peacefully. And before you start interrupting me, I would like you to listen," he said, looking sharply at them and raising his palm.

The elders held their tongues. Reclining back in their seats, they invited him to speak with identical expectant looks.

"It is no secret that our current government… causes much discontent," he continued, trying to be as open about his intentions as possible. "It is only expected for a strong opposition to arise." The masked man looked meaningfully at the two. "I suggest you retire without announcing it. An unofficial retirement so to speak. You'll have your positions and power on paper but refrain from using it for now. When the time comes, you can use your voice to… fix the situation."

The councilors looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between the two. Kakashi imagined their meetings with Sandaime were much like this, with the three elders sitting in total silence for hours, just exchanging meaningful looks. Finally, they seemed to come to a decision.

"You want us to betray Konoha?" Homura narrowed his eyes.

"Not Konoha. Danzou. As Lady Koharu pointed out, Konoha's interests are not Danzou's interests."

"And whose interests are Konoha's? Yours?" huffed Koharu.

"Konoha's interests are those of her people. I am not asking you to support anyone, I merely suggest holding your voice until later. It would be your choice to speak up or not."

"Our voice, huh." Homura scoffed, stroking his beard. They understood what he meant by "voice" – their influence and connections. "When does this 'later' happen?"

They wanted specifics. Understandable, considering he was trying to convince them into a coup. The problem was that he himself was not sure when it was going to happen at this point. There were too many variables and he couldn't initiate anything until they no longer presented a problem and the path was clear.

"All I can say is that it will happen," Kakashi assured.

The elders looked thoughtful for a moment more, scrutinizing their guest's expression, before allowing their postures to relax back a fraction.

"Well, let's hope it happens before we die," Koharu half-joked, half-threatened. "I believe our conversation is finished."

With these words, the councilors showed him out, returning to whatever leisure they were having at the last hours of the weekend. He too had to go back home. Unconsciously, he picked up his pace ever so little. He was looking forward to meeting Hinata. Somehow, a week apart was enough to make him miss her comforting presence.

Kakashi arrived home to a delicious smell of salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant. That immediately put a smile on his tired face. He knew that Hanabi was there too even before he checked the chakra signatures in the house. As always, Hanabi was talking Hinata's ear off. The older Hyuga did not seem to mind, though. She turned her attention to him and smiled, gesturing for him to take a seat at the table. After serving the food, she went back to listening to Hanabi's stories from their trip to Suna. Kakashi noticed the camera on the table, deducing that the girl had already shown all the pictures she'd taken.

Kakashi ate quietly, listening to the girls' chatter. It all reminded him of evenings he used to have in another lifetime, when Kushina-sama and them were talking just like the girls before him. Minato-sensei would sit where Kakashi himself was currently sitting, and listen to his wife and students, just like he was doing right now. His teacher would sit with a content smile on his face, occasionally making a comment about Obito exaggerating the truth. Kakashi found himself doing just that, when Hanabi complained about how he worked her to the bone when they were running to Suna.

Hinata giggled after a particularly funny remark of Kakashi's that spurred a verbal match with her little sister. All in good spirit of course. The bickering pair presented quite a site, with all the teasing and childish competition between the two.

Honestly, Kakashi was so good for her little sister, Hinata thought. He probably didn't even realize it, but he'd started to become a brother-figure of sorts to the girl. With their constant banter, him teaching her all kinds of things, taking her out on a journey – he'd shown more kindness to Hanabi than all her tutors and clansmen combined. For that, Hinata will forever be thankful to the older man. And it's not like he wasn't kind towards her either. He reassured her, tried to help whenever she had any problems, tried to listen. He… _cared_. Actually cared! Apart from her teammates and sister nobody had shown her such attention. It warmed her heart to know that a reclusive man like Kakashi allowed himself to open up to her and enjoyed her company.

It hurt her all the more to know just what kinds of rumors were going around about her husband. After her "black eye" incident, the engines of slander started up anew, dropping his reputation down another mile. All because of her. If she were smart enough to wait until the bruise faded or hide it somehow, there would be no such problems… Screw that, she knew medical techniques! Nothing prevented her from healing the bruise, except for the fact that injuries like that shouldn't be interfered with. She remembered Sakura warning her about using jutsu to heal minor injuries. It weakened the body, and resulted in side effects, much like using drugs. Still, Hinata thought, she should've made an exception just this once.

"Are you alright?" she heard Kakashi ask.

He always noticed when someone was distressed.

Hinata had no doubts that he deserved to know, so she spoke.

"Remember how I got this during our spar?" she started, pointing to her bruised eye. "It's still healing, so when I went out people noticed. They… started to talk…" Hinata looked apologetic, it was eating her from the inside.

With the corner of her eye she spied Hanabi's tense expression. Her sister too, it seemed, was concerned for her good-brother.

"It's fine," Kakashi replied, seemingly unaffected. "People always talk. They will forget about it eventually. My image has already been ruined, no need to worry," he added nonchalantly, trying to dismiss the whole situation.

Hinata shook her head, frowning.

"Your image is not ruined, you are the great Copy Ninja," she argued, "and I will always worry."

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. He exchanged a glance with Hanabi, who didn't seem fazed at all, as if expecting nothing else from her sister. His wife spoke with absolute conviction, not a trace of doubt in her voice. This woman…

"I'm sorry," she finished, deflated. "It's all my fault."

No need to say sorry, he thought, feeling lighter than ever.

_She will always worry_.

Truly, that woman's compassion was endless. He wanted to smile for her, but he always smiled for her. He wanted to pat her head, but she was not his student, nor was she a child. He wanted to convey his emotions, to let her know how special she was. Pathetically, eye contact was the only thing that came to his mind.

"Thank you, Hinata."

He hoped he'd put enough emotion in his tone and expression to make her understand. Understand what he himself was not able to fully fathom. But she was so much better at discerning emotions, he thought. So, he hoped she'd know without him having to voice his feelings.

Hinata dared to take a look at him. Kakashi looked so vulnerable, unguarded. She saw the raw emotion underneath those pools of black and gray. Gratitude, happiness, trust, she could see it all. The tone with which he spoke, it was strong and full of feeling. She couldn't betray this feeling.

Trust earned from Kakashi was an honor. Not something fragile, to protect and cherish, no. She felt like this man's trust is given for life. No matter how many times you betray it, how little appreciation you show it, he would keep trusting you. That made Hinata want to cherish it anyway. She found herself smiling, and just like that, she felt accepting the trust bestowed upon her by her husband, who crinkled his eyes in a happy expression.

"Ahem," the adults heard, turning to look at Hanabi, breaking whatever spell was between them. "Aren't you supposed to bring me back home?" the girl asked.

Indeed, it was time to return Hanabi to Hiashi, before the curfew starts. She must attend her lessons tomorrow, so better to bring her back tonight.

Kakashi nodded, standing up. And just like that Hinata snapped out of their moment of intimacy. She stood up as well.

"I'm going too."

And so, they went together. Hanabi made a point to insert herself in between the two adults, forcing a shy smile from Hinata and a confused shrug from Kakashi.

Observing the two as usual, the jounin still somehow kept catching dirty looks from the passersby. Hinata wasn't kidding when she said people gossiped. It seemed every man, woman and even some children were adamant to level him with a topnotch glare. Thankfully, Hanabi's demanding attitude managed to distract her sister from all the drama unfolding around his person. Seriously, couldn't these people mind their own business?

They reached Hyuga compound soon enough. The guard respectfully greeted the Hyuga daughters and didn't forget to throw Kakashi a suspicious look. It was becoming a custom for the guards, no matter the clan, Copy Nin mused. Kakashi considered Hyuga guards' attitude almost professional, since the Inuzuka guards the other day plain glared at him and nearly refused the entry.

They passed the gates and entered a broad courtyard with neat gardens and a pavement leading to the mansion itself. The true beauty started inside the compound, Kakashi knew. The garden at the front was nothing compared to an exquisite work of art that were the gardens within the individual houses' courts.

One of the conditions of their agreement with Hiashi was that he was to personally bring Hanabi back, after which they discussed her progress together. Kakashi suspected the man wanted more than just talk about his daughter's studies, but he did not care. As long as Hanabi could meet with her sister every week he would gladly listen to whatever Hiashi had to say just as often.

As soon as they stepped in one of the gardens Kakashi spotted his wife's father. Hiashi Hyuga seemed to be enjoying outdoors tea. The garden's ample lighting making the man's expression clearly visible despite the evening hour. His ever-serious face looking almost relaxed when the customary frown was absent from it. Kakashi didn't find it hard to believe. Even someone like Hiashi would find a little peace in such a place.

That garden was serene, the arbor facing a gentle sight of a calm stream with water lilies, surrounded by a relief of rocks and grassy knolls with various bushes, some of them flowery. The sound of the current and crickets completed the impression, making the night wondrously tranquil. As they walked the curve of the paved garden road, Hinata and Hanabi fidgeted beside Kakashi, which didn't escape his notice.

"Father usually comes here when he needs to calm down," Hanabi explained with a whisper.

Kakashi could see how such an activity could help ease one's mind, perhaps he could build something similar at his own house. That was a thought to mull on in another time, for Hiashi noticed them approach.

"Good evening, Hiashi-sama," Kakashi started first, with a polite smile. "I brought Hanabi-chan. Hinata wished to accompany us."

Said daughters greeted their father politely, to which Hiashi gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Good evening to you too, Kakashi-sama," the man greeted in response, not bothering to smile. "Would you care to join me this fine night?" he made a small gesture towards the tea set on the table.

Kakashi sat without saying a word. Hiashi looked at Hinata and Hanabi expectantly – they seemed to know what to do without anyone asking anything. Hinata sat beside Kakashi, while Hanabi prepared to serve men the tea.

"Hanabi-chan is a sharp and perceptive girl," Kakashi began his usual report, feeling weird to speak about her when she was right there. "She is a strong-minded individual, but she always listens if given a good explanation."

His words seemed to surprise Hanabi, who was in a process of pouring a cup for her father. Her eyes widened and she nearly spilled the drink.

"And how do you find her background?" asked Hiashi, receiving his tea. The fact that his cup was full to the brim seemingly not bothering him.

"Her schooling is adequate," Kakashi replied doing the same, but offering his cup to Hinata instead.

His wife seemed bewildered, but only for a moment, for she graciously accepted the tea with a small smile. Hiashi raised an eyebrow. Whether it was due to his words or his actions remained unknown. Hanabi was less discreet, not avoiding spilling a little of her drink this time.

"For that reason, I mostly focused on improving her physical aspects, as well as giving her a practical approach at certain things," continued Kakashi, silently wiping her wet tray with a handkerchief.

"I see. And what would those 'certain things' be?"

"Battle tactics, politics, surviving skills," Kakashi listed, "anything I deem appropriate."

Hinata and Hanabi listened with careful attention. For some reason, hearing these two men talk was like going back to being kids, hanging on adults' every conversation. Both girls reasoned that it was probably due to the placid atmosphere of the tea garden channeling their focus on the two shinobi.

Seeming to be satisfied with Hanabi's progress, Hiashi switched on to his other daughter.

"How does Hinata fare? I hear you took to sparring with her too." Despite his daughters being there, Hiashi's eyes never left the Copy Nin's face. His expression hardened, sharp voice cutting through the peaceful mood. Hinata tensed, no doubt her father talking about her bruise. She thought they had cleared up that misunderstanding…

"My dear wife is doing as well as could be expected in her… circumstance." It was Kakashi's turn to steel his speech in a poorly veiled accusation. '_You know what I am talking about_,' they seemed to say. "Although I think you should ask her yourself," he spoke in a much more cheerful voice, contrasting to the hardness he displayed a moment prior.

Hiashi's eyes briefly turned to his eldest daughter before he closed them in a thoughtful expression. Once they opened again, he was already back watching Kakashi. He nodded almost imperceptibly, before taking a sip from his cup and averting his eyes to the garden.

"Hinata, Hanabi," he said, still looking away, "Would you please leave us for a moment. I would like to speak to Kakashi-sama alone."

His daughters need not to be told twice. After they left, Hiashi remained silent for a long moment.

"Your gardens are beautiful," Kakashi commented offhandedly. "One finds that a place like this can help soothe one's mind," he continued in the same barely interested voice. "Especially after a disastrous meeting."

This last remark made the Hyuga head turn towards the masked man.

"Rarely do I come here," he said, pouring his guest another cup.

"I don't know if I should envy you or pity you," Kakashi said jokingly.

"Why so?"

Hiashi was curious of the man's response. People's blunt honesty with him was almost as rare as his visits to this garden. He'd be damned if he didn't use the rare chance to learn something honest about himself.

"You have such a lovely garden, and yet you seldom visit here, which is a shame," his guest reasoned. "However, the fact that you don't come often means you don't often have a reason to. This only proves that your meetings usually end to your satisfaction, and that is a luxury from one's point of view."

"Your outlook on things is a… peculiar one," Hiashi commented, swirling the contents of his cup. Although it shouldn't be a surprise for him, as their Jounin Commander was less than unpopular among Konoha's clans. No wonder most of his meetings with said clans turned out to be very stressful on the man. "Alas, you are right. The reason I'm here is because of a meeting."

"Would you care to elaborate?" Kakashi asked, busy scrutinizing the assortment of desserts on the tray. "We are relatives now. I would be happy to assist."

Hiashi considered the offer. There was no harm letting the man know, he decided, taking a generous sip of the chamomile tea. How he hated its taste. Like drinking grass. It helped with stress though, or so he liked to think. So, he took to drinking it from time to time. The nasty taste was worth enduring for the soothing effects it brought.

Hiashi almost snorted, realizing something.

Dealing with the man in front of him was a lot like drinking chamomile tea – helpful but left an unpleasant aftertaste. He was getting used to the tea though…

"Before you arrived," he decided that there was no other choice than to request the man's services, "I had a conversation with Hageshi."

Kakashi's face visibly scrunched up at the mention of the man.

"I do not blame you," the masked man said, expression sour. "I am afraid a simple visit to a tea garden is not sufficient to remedy the day after meeting that son of a bitch."

Hiashi's lips tugged at the corner in a ghost of a smirk. His son-in-law could sometimes be amusing, he had to admit. Unfortunately, what he said was correct, which is why he was talking to him in the first place.

"No, it's not," he agreed. "Especially after I tell you the contents of our discussion."

So, the head of the Hyuga clan proceeded to explain how Hageshi was targeting the clan, buying their businesses for such low tariffs that it was practically a robbery. He was abusing Danzou's protectionism, destroying their subsidiaries with the monopolies he built, cutting the clan's supply of funds. It was slowly suffocating the Hyugas, since their numerous and prestigious clan constantly required considerable expenses. Simply put, they kept spending at the same rate while their profits dwindled.

"I see," Kakashi said, after hearing the problem. He directed his look at the water at his side, the steady stream helping him formulate his thoughts. "He came to you and demanded you give up your ventures. Truly, that man's audacity has no bounds."

The problem was complicated by the fact that Hyugas needed their money. He understood that a clan must keep the pretense of being wealthy, so cutting on expenses was not an option. Even if they managed to cut their budget, it would be but a temporary fix. They had to get back on track with their businesses. For that, they absolutely had to eliminate Hageshi.

They could always kill him off, but then all the funds and assets he'd managed to gain would be lost to them. The only way to punish Hageshi and restore all the money he stole from Konoha would be to make him do it through legal action. For that, they needed Danzou's approval.

"How about you try to reduce the expenditures of your clan for the time being. I will see what I can do with Hageshi," Kakashi suggested, determined to think on the matter later when his head was not full with other problems.

Hiashi nodded. This was all he could ask for now. He knew that placing his hopes on Kakashi could be a dubious idea, but there was no other choice. If anyone could deal with Danzou and Hageshi, it's him.

"I thank you for your assistance," he replied with a slight incline of his head. "Have a safe journey back."

Kakashi stood up, looking at the sky. He whistled.

"Look at the time," he said, putting his empty cup back on the tray. "Was a pleasure."

It did not escape Hiashi's attention that the man had taken the last almond biscuit with him, leaving him with only kanten. If he were younger, he would've called the man a bastard.

He stoically nibbled on the kanten instead.

"Oh, by the way," Kakashi turned back to the Hyuga head, "chamomile can be mixed with green tea. I heard it tastes better that way."

With those words he left. Hiashi turned his attention back to his half-finished cup of tea. '_Green tea, huh._'

* * *

On the next day, Kakashi went to the Hokage Tower to make his report. He had planned to go out for dinner with Hinata later today, so he hoped there were no missions for him. He entered the office, using the door, mind you, no need to displease Danzou over trivial matters. Especially if he planned to convince him of anything.

"Ah, Kakashi, you are here at last," he heard his Hokage say.

"Good day, Lord Hokage. Here to report," Kakashi rapped out.

"I am listening."

"Sunagakure accepts our conditions," he began. "I do not expect our relations to deteriorate as a result of our agreement."

Danzou barely lifted his eyes from his paperwork. "What of our councilmen?"

"As promised, they will no longer involve themselves with Konoha's matters. However, they would not like to publicly announce their retirement."

"So, they are too proud to confirm their incompetence officially?" Danzou deduced. "It matters not. They will no longer interfere, and that was our goal. If they wish to keep their councilmen status then so be it," he sneered, before directing a pleased look at Kakashi. "Excellent work, Kakashi. As always."

It was hard to determine whether Danzou was aware that without an official retirement their power and influence remained. In any case, he did not argue with their decision, so Kakashi could relax. He was afraid Danzou would demand them to retire officially, ruining his plans, but it seemed the man was too arrogant, not even considering the old councilors a threat.

"I serve Konoha, Hokage-sama."

Every time he called the man Hokage he felt like he was betraying his village. He couldn't bring himself to pledge loyalty to Hokage directly, like many of Danzou's suck-ups. Fools. The man only respected those who respect themselves. He did not tolerate flunkeys, preferring to use them as pawns and canon fodder. He had to give it to the man where credit was due – as much as Danzou demanded loyalty, he also welcomed a backbone in his subordinates.

Kakashi made sure, however, to claim loyalty to Konoha. Danzou saw himself as one with the village, so it probably did not matter to the man. Displays were as important in building trust as actions themselves. For that reason, Kakashi had to be the model subordinate.

After his report, they proceeded to discuss other matters. Kakashi brought some administrative and social problems of the village to his attention. As usual, Danzou dismissed most of them, but he agreed to listen to the most important one, the one concerning Hyugas. Their clan was powerful, they couldn't afford to displease them, the fact Danzou was all too aware of. Additionally, Kakashi's success at his previous assignments meant that his chances of getting Danzou's approval were pretty high. Sometimes, it was not how but rather when the proposition was made that made the difference.

"We cannot simply kill Hageshi," mulled Danzou, confirming Kakashi's concerns. "He's established himself in the whole of the Land of Fire, not just Konoha. As such, his influence exceeds our village's borders. We have no access to all of his assets. As pliable as he is, I am sure he has a lot hidden from even my access. It would be prudent to gain as much as possible from him before he is removed," he looked meaningfully at his right-hand man.

"I understand. We must be cautious with our proceedings," Kakashi agreed, relieved to get Danzou's approval.

Danzou's ambitions complicate things, but at the same time they made it easier to convince the man to eliminate Hageshi. The man grew too powerful for Danzou to control. And if the Village Hidden in the Leaves marks someone for elimination, then that person better be powerful indeed to have any chance of evading it. The question was how exactly were they going to get rid of him. Perhaps through a tribunal? With those thoughts cooking in mind Kakashi moved on to other matters that required Danzou's attention.

On his way back from the meeting that dragged on longer than he expected, Kakashi had an urge to visit the Memorial Stone. There was plenty of time until his dinner with Hinata, so he figured he'd spend some of it in peace and quiet. He liked to contemplate there. Despite the village's diligent care of the monument, it wasn't a popular place. People came by occasionally to leave flowers, but nobody stayed there as long as Kakashi. It was a perfect place for him to think and reflect.

Kakashi figured even bastards like Danzou need someone who they could entrust with at least a fraction of their responsibilities. It was good that he was that man for Danzou. He could directly influence the village behind Hokage's back. What an irony, he thought. Kakashi was doing exactly what Danzou used to do when Sandaime was Hokage. He could only reassure himself that he was different than Danzou, and his methods were not as ruthless.

'_But what excuse did you have for putting your student in prison?_' said a treacherous voice in his head, eliciting a tired groan.

Why was it so hard to shake those feelings of guilt off? Wallowing in guilt and self-pity was not going to help him fix everything. He had to focus on more productive things, he knew, but that guilt still would plague his mind every now and then. Sure, he thought there was no other way, but that was hardly an excuse. Perhaps they could have made a stance at that pivotal moment a year ago, when they still had everyone. Perhaps Naruto could have pulled another miracle only he was capable of and win the fight against all odds. Perhaps, if he wasn't so overly cautious…

'_Screw it_', he decided, not wanting to ruminate on what ifs and things that were already set in stone.

"Might as well visit Rin and Obito while I am at it," he muttered, trying to force himself from thinking about his past decisions.

Visiting their graves always helped him to calm, to unwind. So, he went to the Yamanaka's for his usual – white lilies. Entering their spacious flower shop, he hoped to avoid meeting anyone he knew, especially from his wife's generation. Those were the most troublesome. He internally groaned when he saw who was at the counter.

"Welcome," he heard Ino Yamanaka cheerfully say, before she looked up to him from her magazine and all her friendliness instantly vanished.

'_It had to be her_,' Kakashi lamented. Why of all Yamanakas it had to be their head of clan? From Hinata's generation, no less.

"Yo," he said with his usual disinterested expression, giving a two-finger salute. "I'll have my usual."

He only bought lilies, so even if Ino did not work here as often as she used to, she still should know what he wanted.

Kakashi was correct, as the blonde quickly and without any word retrieved a bunch of white lilies. She put them on the counter for him to take.

"Thanks," he said, handing her the money.

Ino just glared at him, not hurrying to accept the money. They stood like that, him with his hand awkwardly extended towards her, until she rolled her eyes. She huffed, looking pointedly at the counter and back at him. He raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless put the money on the counter. She did not even spare a glance at the clanking coins below, keeping her eyes on him instead. As if she was expecting something else from him.

"Okay…" Kakashi said, slightly unnerved by Ino's behavior. And they called him weird. "Well, I'll be going now."

"Wait."

He turned around, curious as to what the woman could possibly want this time.

"You forgot something."

"I did?" he asked, surprised. He was sure he'd left more money than the flowers costed, unless the price had increased…

"It's not money," Ino said, sensing his confusion.

Her words did not help to alleviate said confusion, though. If anything, the man was even more befuddled. He stood there, in the middle of her shop, trying to remember something he had no idea he might've forgotten. Ino decided to take pity on the man.

"You forgot to buy flowers," she said.

The masked man looked at the flowers he held, actually counting them one by one. This elicited another eye rolling response from Ino.

"Not those flowers," she told him.

"I'm afraid I don't understa–"

His words were cut off by a loud groan and another exaggerated huff from the woman. What's up with those sassy expressions?

"Flowers for your date, genius!" she said, throwing her hands up in surrender.

Ino thought she'd caused the man's brain to short circuit. Honestly, how can men be so dense? However, Kakashi seemed to finally understand her. Evidently, he was the genius among them, she thought sarcastically.

"It's not a date, though," she heard him say. "We are just going out to eat."

Ino found herself rolling her eyes once again.

"When a man and a woman go out to eat it's generally considered a date," she said.

"What if we are just friends?"

Her response was a lift of an eyebrow, '_Are you just friends?_'

"Stop arguing and just take these," she handed him a bouquet of carnations. They were a lovely thing, white petals on the outside, with a reddish-pink gradient towards the center of the flower.

"Thank you?" he said, not knowing how else to respond.

Heck, he didn't even know how much they costed. He was about to ask exactly that when Ino got ahead of him.

"The money you left would be enough," she said, clearly wanting him to leave now that their business was done.

After the door was closed behind him, Ino let out a huff of irritation. She promised herself to believe in Kakashi and support their relationship with Hinata, but even her patience was not limitless. Just what Hinata saw in that man, anyway?

Kakashi suspected Ino didn't even know how much money he'd left on the counter but shrugged his shoulders and left anyway. He didn't want to think about how Ino knew about their "date" and why did she bother to help him. Anyhow, Kakashi wasn't one to turn a gift down, so he took extra care not to mess up the flowers. Now he had a gift to deliver after visiting Rin and Obito's graves.

A smile tugged on his lips. Somehow, his spontaneous idea to go out with Hinata seemed like the best one he had so far. Perhaps that magazine he borrowed (stole) from Hanabi was not as useless as he thought... He wondered what other kinds of life advice from that magazine were applicable to him.

* * *

Hinata just finished reading yet another one of the numerous books her husband owned. The library in his study contained an impressive assortment, with various genres and from many different authors. Predictably, a lot of them were about ninja arts. She found manuals, scrolls, strategy and tactics, books on taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu. Nevertheless, there were other books too, even a couple cookbooks.

Putting the book aside, her thoughts went back to their conversation the other day. Kakashi suggested they go out to eat. She agreed, choosing Ichiraku's. She did not know of the reason he asked her out, and he didn't say anything. Just asked her and went back to what he was doing after hearing her agree. The man was strange like that – always doing something sudden, with no prerequisites. It always ended up either pleasant or beneficial, though. She wished he wasn't so secretive all the time. Deciding to tackle that issue later, she just hoped it was going to be one of the pleasant ones this time. As much as she liked training, she did not fancy having to capture him in a forest or climbing a mountain with her hand tied behind her back. Again. His training has helped immensely, and she could see the improvements in her stamina, speed and strength, but she really did hope tonight was just a simple dinner at Ichiraku's, just as he'd told her.

It was 7 pm when he came back. He brought her flowers, too. She couldn't help but smile shyly at the gift. That was a pleasant surprise, she had to admit. She was sure Ino had something to do with it. Just today she talked with her, mentioning their "date" with Kakashi. Ino insisted it was a date, so she probably tracked him at some point after their conversation and shoved the flowers in his hands just so that he could give them to her.

He gave her some time to change, seeing as he was already fully clothed. Speaking of clothes, Hinata always wondered where Kakashi's were. All she ever saw him wear was his standard jounin uniform. All she managed to find in the house was a black formal suit, likely reserved for funerals, and a few casual articles that he only wore at home. Even her own wardrobe was more impressive. Oh yeah, there was also this one set of clothes that she was sure she saw in the past. It consisted of a long green overcoat and a brown scarf. But how could she remember it if he never wore them?

Well, she will certainly have things to ask him about during their way to Ichiraku's, Hinata thought as they left the house. They walked at a leisurely pace, finding it very easy to converse with each other. Although Kakashi didn't speak much, he still seemed to talk significantly more with her than usual.

They didn't even notice that they were nearing their destination until crashing sounds reached their ears. The pair immediately took in their surroundings. The sounds of wreckage were followed by screams and shouts for help. By the looks of it, someone was very angry, it sounded like things were being broken.

"It comes from Ichiraku's!" Hinata rushed to aid in whatever was going on there.

She did not stay to hear Kakashi's words of warning. Her husband was too cautious sometimes. All she knew was that somebody was in danger and they needed help. She burst inside the small shop, to a sight of an enraged ninja holding an equally furious man by the collar. A few ramen bowls were lying shattered on the floor, their contents spilled. Teuchi and Ayame, the proprietors of said establishment were trying to diffuse the situation to no avail.

"You take your words back!" yelled the unknown ninja.

"Why would I?" the man in his hold said bravely. "It's all true!"

Hinata immediately interfered, trying to resolve things peacefully.

"What's going on here?" she asked, hoping at least someone would answer.

"Not your business, missy," she heard the ninja say. The others were too preoccupied to give any reply.

In any case, no answer was really needed. Hinata could clearly enough see for herself what was going on there.

Shinobi that was threatening a civilian seemed to be no higher in rank than chunin. It wasn't unheard of for ninjas to have prejudice against civilians, but in Konoha it rarely resulted in violence. The incidence of ninja-civilian conflicts had increased over the past year of Danzou's rule. She remembered Tenten's grumpy demeanor whenever they got to meet, it was especially hard to her since she had many civilian friends and relatives. This hassle before her was a regular occurrence by now. Every now and then, a particularly embittered civilian will say something about ninjas, which will be heard by one who wouldn't take the insult lightly. One thing will lead to another, and a fight ensues, obviously resulting in shinobi's victory, which would drive the animosity between the two worlds further.

The two brawlers before her were only proving her thoughts with their unseemly attitude.

Having had enough, Hinata decided to break the two apart. With a few swift motions she forcefully separated the shinobi from his civilian adversary. The man stumbled back a few steps, surprised. He even looked like he was about to strike her in retaliation, before finally noticing whom he was up against. Everyone knew better than to mess with Hyuga, especially a daughter of Hiashi. Knowing when to admit defeat, the chunin went away, leaving behind a thrashed shop.

He did not, however, depart without having the last word. "Must suck that there is still someone whom your daddy cannot protect you from," he sneered, looking at her fading bruise.

"Are you alright?" Hinata turned to the second man, ignoring the jab.

The civilian just glared at her, ego bruised that a girl had saved him. He huffed and proceeded to wordlessly leave as well.

It seemed Kakashi was observing their exchange the whole time, for he was standing there at the entrance, eyes following the instigators out.

"You could at least help clean up if you decided to stand aside during the fight," she told him, hoping that he didn't hear what that shinobi said before.

"It was more like an encounter," he shrugged. "Besides, you managed just fine by yourself."

"Helping is not about whether the person you are trying to help can manage by themselves, Kakashi," Hinata sighed. "Teuchi-san and Ayame-san can clean all this mess themselves, but it doesn't mean I cannot help them."

Without any words, Kakashi came over and began gathering the shards left from the bowls. Ayame brought a rag, wiping away the residual food from the floor, while Hinata and Kakashi cleared all the stools from her way. They finished quickly.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan, Kakashi-sama." The man's tone was polite, but expression betrayed wariness when talking to Kakashi. Her husband's negative reputation was well established, it seemed. Even someone so nonjudgemental like Teuchi seemed cautious around the Copy Nin.

"No problem, Teuchi-san," Hinata smiled, taking a sit at the counter. "We came here to eat but it seems we had to work up our appetites first," she joked in hopes to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Ah, say no more! Two bowls of ramen coming up! Extra-large!"

With those words the older man and his daughter set back on to cooking. Kakashi thanked them and sat near Hinata. Ayame was throwing funny looks at them every now and then, which made Hinata slightly uncomfortable.

"Sorry about that," she heard Kakashi say. She turned to him, noting how troubled he seemed to look. "I heard what that man said when he was leaving." Copy Nin avoided looking at her bruise.

"It's alright. Remember, you yourself said that the rumors don't bother you? If you don't care, then I shouldn't either."

Afterall, all she could get were petty insults, while Kakashi had it much rougher. Hinata gave him a reassuring smile to which he responded with a nod of relief. He didn't give any indication that he wanted to continue their conversation, so Hinata set to wait for their food in silence.

Turns out, her husband did have something to say.

"I meant to speak to you about our marriage," he quietly spoke, fiddling with his gloves. "Why it all happened."

"What about it?" Hinata tried to sound nonchalant, but she wouldn't lie, she always wanted to know why Kakashi suddenly proposed this marriage to her father seemingly out of the blue.

"It's no secret that Hyuga is the most powerful of Konoha's clans," Kakashi started explaining, "and naturally, Danzou fears them. There was a time when he seriously considered directly interfering with the clan's affairs."

Hinata had a hunch where he was going with that line of thought, but remained silent, not wishing to interrupt her husband's revelation.

"No amount of persuasion from me or the councilors seemed to work. Danzou was dead set on teaching Hiashi a lesson. He spoke about how he could use Hiashi's daughters as a leverage…"

Hinata gasped. She knew that Danzou was ruthless, but to threaten someone with harm to their children was just beyond lowly. In hindsight, she could easily see such a thought to come to their Hokage. By taking her or Hanabi hostage, Danzou could force Hiashi into obedience. Or that was what Hinata thought anyway, unsure if her father would be willing to yield even when his daughters' lives were at stake.

"...That's when I panicked…" Kakashi continued, refusing to meet her eyes. "I came up with this ludicrous idea of marriage. I reasoned that it was a smoother way to make his daughter a hostage, and that Hiashi would think twice before doing anything that could harm his relations with the government. It would also appease to Hyuga clan elders, as they will have ties with a prominent member of Konoha elite…"

'_So that was the reason Kakashi proposed our marriage,_' Hinata thought, feeling anger on behalf of her husband. '_How could anyone be forced to make those kinds of decisions?_'

Kakashi, however, seemed to misinterpret the look on her face, thinking the anger was directed at him.

"I know that it doesn't mean much, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said, eyes firmly locked down on the counter. His guilty expression clearly reflected on the polished surface.

Hinata was immediately pulled out of her angry thoughts, realizing that she had to finally say something.

"How can I be angry at you?" she asked, gently taking his hand in hers. She ignored his instinctive flinch and only tightened her hold. "It's not your fault in the least!"

Kakashi's eyes widened at Hinata's words and the comforting touch. Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to say something, anything that would convey his gratitude to the woman who despite everything stood by his side, but was interrupted by the sound of their food's arrival.

"Here we go, two extra large classic ramens," said Ayame, placing the steaming bowls in front of each customer. The woman could see that the atmosphere changed while she was away cooking, so decided to promptly leave the two in privacy.

Thanking the woman, Kakashi and Hinata sluggishly dug in, each still digesting the newfound knowledge.

As their moment was interrupted, none of them felt the desire to talk about Danzou and politics any longer. As such, Kakashi was only too happy when Hinata changed the subject by inquiring more about their training with Hanabi. She was making a lot of progress, learning some new techniques and improving her battle skills. They continued in that direction, gradually shifting to other things, even the everyday mundane.

It was no secret that Hinata liked ramen, but Kakashi seemed unaware until tonight. When she ordered a second, he just shrugged, taking out his Icha Icha instead to have some read while she was eating. When she ordered yet another portion, however, he couldn't stop from raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you liked ramen so much."

"It's one of my favorite foods," she said, slurping the noodles. Then she continued, a little embarrassed, "I once ate 46 bowls."

Kakashi's normally apathetic expression gave way to that of awe.

"Forty-six?!" he asked, incredulous, making sure he heard that right. "That's impressive! You got to tell me how you managed. Did you use any jutsu? A trick?"

For his every guess she shook her head. There was no trick, she told him. Hinata just loved ramen.

"I see," he said, wrapping his head around the possibility of someone being capable of gobbling down such an enormous amount of food. "If only I had your appetite. I wouldn't lose a single eating challenge to Gai."

An amused smile appeared on Hinata's face upon recalling the two jounins' silly competitions. Kurenai-sensei once mentioned that they started their tradition of challenges when they were kids, and they still kept the score.

"What is your current score with Gai-sensei?"

"Hmm," Kakashi scratched his chin. "We usually reset the score every year, but we didn't have many opportunities for challenges last year, so we decided to keep the score from that. It is fifty-one to fifty in my favor," he said somewhat proudly.

The twinkle in his eyes only brightened when Hinata praised him for taking a lead in his with Gai challenges. And so, Kakashi began talking in great detail about some of their more exciting competitions.

"... and so the goose chased Gai away while I took the eggs," he finished his tale, strangely smug about his victory, even though it involved such underhanded tactics.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Hinata playfully scolded.

"When the snipe and clam quarrel, the fisherman wins," her husband defended. "It's not like Gai doesn't cheat," he pouted.

She almost sputtered out the broth of the third ramen bowl she'd finished, which was rather unladylike. She did not care, however, what she heard during the course of their dinner was too ridiculous to pay any heed to manners.

"You guys are insane!"

"Well, Gai and I are not exactly a level-headed pair."

Kakashi glanced at her behind his book, as if thinking on something. She waited patiently for him to voice it, but it seemed he decided against it, returning to his book.

'_What is so good about that book anyway?_' she thought, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

After asking that question out loud, she got the most ridiculous and at the same time adorable explanation she ever heard. For such activity anyway. Apparently, it started out as an attempt to satiate his curiosity. It was all because of a conversation he had with Jiraya once. The two were actually close, with him visiting the hermit from time to time, and the Sannin always having a piece of advice for Kakashi. One such time, Jiraya mentioned that he wanted Kakashi to become a man he would base a character of his novel after.

"_So hurry up and become the man I would write a book about, Kakashi_," the masked man relayed Jiraya's words. "I guess, after some time I got curious. What if he did write a book about me?" Kakashi's expression turned wistful, "I read his every book, but I didn't find any character who would resemble me, even remotely."

Hinata sensed some sadness in Kakashi's tone. Could it be that he was disappointed that Jiraya didn't write about him? He looked up to the man, that much was evident when Kakashi spoke about the Sannin.

"I am sure he didn't have any because he was holding his next big title for you," she told him, taking his hand in her own for the second time that evening.

Hinata gave him a smile; nervous, hesitant. Kakashi no longer flinched at the contact, readily gifting her a soft smile of his own. Although the man never pulled down his mask except for when putting food in his mouth, she learned to detect the smiles he gave away.

"Anyway," he said, and Hinata could swear she saw his face redden at the brim of the mask. "I enjoyed his books, so I kept reading. Over time, it turned into a hobby of sorts."

The rest of the evening they spoke of literature and why they liked certain books. Kakashi proceeded to defend Jiraya's "masterpieces", saying that the explicit content was merely an addition to the rich plot and a lively world filled with colorful characters. He assured her that Icha Icha was more of a romance than smut, offering up any of his to read at any time. She jokingly asked which of them he would recommend reading first, to which he immediately replied that the very first, _Icha Icha Paradise_, was the absolute best. However, he suggested her to read _Innocence_, claiming that she would enjoy it more. The way he said it was so genuine that Hinata felt compelled to at least give it a try.

"I– I think I'll try _Innocence_," she stammered, although his rapturous reviews of _Paradise _did spark her interest as well. He wouldn't be so serious about it if there was nothing good about those books. Right?

She decided to take it easy with Icha Icha. If she were to choose, then the _Innocence _would be the lesser evil. She informed him of as much.

Kakashi looked astounded, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hinata's face got redder by the second. She was entertaining ditching the idea, but one look at Kakashi's gleeful, excited face made her immediately banish the thought of backing down. He was probably thrilled to find someone to share his passion with. Right there and then she resolved to not only read the book but finish it completely. Hinata prided herself on her open-mindedness, so who knows, maybe she will like it.

Cannot judge a book by its cover, after all.

* * *

While some people talked about Icha Icha during their dinner, others were busy reading it.

Or rather, they had nothing else to do but to read it.

Miles from Konoha, in the center of a volcano, a prison stood imposing and ominous. Konoha Strict Correctional Facility was not just a regular prison, though. It detained the most dangerous and powerful criminals in all of Land of Fire. But none of them were as dangerous, nor as powerful as Naruto Uzumaki. Ironically, he was the one least deserving to be there.

Naruto didn't allow this unfortunate (duh) circumstance to dishearten him. He was lounging on his bunk, one foot dangling from the edge, and skimming through the _Icha Icha Paradise _he'd gotten from Kakashi. Perhaps it was his boredom coupled with complete lack of any other activity, but the blond jinchuuriki found Jiraya's novels quite enjoyable. He lifted his eyes from the worn pages when the sound of footsteps echoed from outside of his cell. Was it already his dinner time? He could never tell, his little compartment lacked windows so there was no way for him to distinguish day from night.

It was only when the reinforced door opened with a sharp creak to allow a feminine figure inside his cell that Naruto knew what was going on.

"It's already time?" he asked, pocketing the orange book. "Oh, man, I kinda liked staying here. It doesn't smell as bad as the previous cells."

Said guest only slightly narrowed her eyes in disapproval. She came up to the compliant if not overly talkative prisoner and began administering his sedative.

"Tell those guys to be more careful this time, dattebayo!" Naruto complained to the medic halfheartedly. The last time they spontaneously decided to move his cell they dislocated his arm. It was hard enough to read a book with only one arm, he didn't want to have that sole arm injured on top of that.

Predictably, the woman did not reply. She never did. It didn't mean anything, though. Naruto knew that when the time comes, she will; for her silence was not a product of her unfriendliness.

He sighed, feeling his senses begin to dull and body surrender to the familiar tranquilizer-induced sleep. He yawned, wishing for Kakashi and guys to come and get him out of there already.

For now, he'll have to wait for his friends to sort everything by themselves. His time will come later.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

Konoha Memorial Stone was one of the best places for Kakashi to ponder, and one of the few places that still provided him with the comfort of not being disturbed. The site was sacred among villagers, and even shinobi who had a lot of claims to bring against the Copy Nin restrained from doing so in front of the monument. Not to say that it was the only reason he spent so much time here, but it was a nice bonus.

Kakashi lazily stood in front of the polished stone, arranging the jumbling thoughts in his head. Plans, village affairs, his own personal life – it all created a continuous stream of problems that needed to be dealt with. He being him, a fair amount of these problems, particularly the personal ones, were systematically set aside in favor of more pressing needs. It is only on days like these was he able to finally address such issues. And currently, at the forefront of his somewhat relieved mind was only one thing.

It hasn't been more than a couple months since he got to know Hinata, yet thoughts of his wife constantly kept creeping back whenever his mind was vacant. The oddest things started to remind him of her at the oddest of times. Now, this was by no means an unpleasant experience, just something Kakashi wasn't used to. Truthfully, he wouldn've paid it much mind if not for the fact that his wife herself started to notice his distractedness. Hinata, being her caring self, had immediately sprung to his aid, suggesting all kinds of things to help him relax from all the stress she assumed he'd been suffering from.

He even tried meditating, if only to appease his wife, but it didn't sit with him right. It felt boring and if not, his thoughts tended to stray towards topics he wasn't particularly proud of entertaining. Topics he specifically came here to avoid. It was disturbingly easy for his mind to conjure various... imagery involving his wife, the fact he did not like one bit. Despite Hinata's preference of modest attire, it was still _very _obvious that she was a grown woman. Even his beloved Icha Icha barely helped to contain the growing desire. He was no stranger to sexual urges, but he'd thought he left all that behind with his puberty.

To think that things were going so well between him and Hinata. Over the weeks after their, dare he say triumphant dinner at Ichiraku's, Kakashi could at least say that they've became good friends. He genuinely enjoyed spending time with her, be it training or just plain talking or even sitting there in comfortable silence. She seemed to feel the same, since she's opened up to him more, readily sharing her worries and thoughts without any urging from his part. He didn't want to ruin their relationship by doing something stupid. Not to mention that he did not want to be heading in the direction that could ultimately lead nowhere. He knew himself; it wasn't just lust. And he knew better than to fall for a woman who'd been so obviously pining after his student.

"Great," he muttered, lifting his gaze up towards the sky, heeding the advice he so liked to give to any troubled a soul. Evening winter sky was unusually clear, with most of the clouds caking lazily at the horizon. The dusk colored the outermost puffs of billow a light shade of lavender, everything else beyond being bright orange.

He came here to clear his mind of things but ended up contemplating the same thoughts that he was so desperately escaping from. Hinata, her love for Naruto, his _crush _on Hinata… Funny how his brain could effortlessly process information Obito's Sharingan provided to him without being overwhelmed, but a mere scrutiny of his own emotions was enough to give him a headache. So what if she was married to him? Everybody knew it wasn't for love; Hyuga wanting a powerful ally and Danzou wanting Hyugas to comply. Nobody bothered to ask what Hinata wanted during all of that. He promised himself at day one that he will annul the affair once the 'Danzou business' is over. Holding onto their marriage just to have Hinata to himself would be horribly selfish, albeit sickeningly tempting.

What chance did he have, anyway? Everyone knew she is head over heels for Naruto. And much to his selfish regret, they would make a great pair in his opinion. They would have two kids, one boy and one girl – a perfect combination. They would probably name the boy Furuto, while the girl would be Haruko or something in that fashion. Most importantly, though, they would be happy. Kakashi did not know any woman kinder than Hinata and any man better than Naruto. His own virtues paled compared to theirs, and could anyone blame him for feeling insecure?

"Great."

He found himself uttering that particular word once again. Because no matter how apprehensive he was or how compatible he believed Hinata and Naruto to be, he still held a silly hope that she'd stay with him; that he'd somehow convince her to choose him. He did not know how exactly, but he wasn't the great Copy Ninja, Konoha's prodigy for nothing. He'd read any book and bribe any person if only to gain some much-needed help.

Heck, he would even stoop so low as to ask Hanabi for advice. Knowing that the brat will not help him without asking something in return, not to mention that she was more likely to sabotage his attempts rather than aid in them. He shuddered at the thought of what the little devil might ask for her services. He suddenly regretted bringing her to his negotiations with Suna. The girl was astute like that, catching concepts on the fly. Hopefully she'll have enough decency not to use his teachings against him.

Jokes aside, Kakashi felt like a bastard for thinking about pursuing Hinata. He did not want to deny her happiness, or Naruto for that matter. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was his knucklehead of a student.

Then why couldn't he drop those selfish feelings?

Despite this guilt gnawing at him, he knew there was no way in hell for him to give up now. He's gone too far. If only he noticed these feelings earlier, he could've suppressed them and nipped it in the bud before it consumed him. Instead, it happened so fast that he could barely even acknowledge anything, until it hit him like an anvil. How could this gentle woman invade his soul so aggressively and take over his thoughts and emotions? No, Kakashi thought, he will not, could not, give up now. His shinobi instincts never betrayed him so far, and right now they told him either he fights and come what may, or he surrenders and regrets it for the rest of his life.

Great, now he thought it some kind of a battle.

"Just great," he sighed, turning around and leaving the Memorial to the approaching night. He snorted, thinking on how weird he might have looked if anyone watched him: standing there, muttering to himself...

He came here to clear his mind and relax, but instead got a headache and a whole lot of determination.

Despite his newfound resolve, Kakashi will put its realization away for now. He had far more important matters to take care of. Hageshi Hikohiro, for instance. He'd promised Hiashi that he'll deal with the man. Seeing as the only thing keeping him from jail was Danzou's protection, Kakashi expected Hageshi to be prosecuted long ago. Danzou, however, was not in a hurry to depose of the bastard.

Kakashi had to personally request Hageshi's prosecution from his Hokage. Now that it was granted, Copy Nin had began religiously studying his target. Everything, from the people Hageshi interacted with, to the places and towns he frequented; his loyal pack of ninken had made a lot of work during these past days. He himself spent the last couple of nights digging up everything concerning the man's crimes and had to oversee the whole process, including the investigations. One glance at his case file, and Kakashi was sure there was no way for the man to escape justice. Bribery, smuggling, human trafficking, contract killing – it all was there. Of course, they had to modify the case to exclude all ties to Konoha and Danzou specifically. Just reading the file made Kakashi feel dirty, let alone tampering with it. Kakashi recalled his time in ANBU, at least all the atrocities they committed were in the interests of Konoha. They never stooped as low as Hageshi. Kakashi remembered every innocent who had to suffer by his hand, and he still woke in the middle of the night from nightmares sometimes. Hageshi's actions were inexcusable, and from what he could tell the man did not give a damn. Such people simply could not be allowed to live in his village.

Aside from the legal proceedings, Copy Nin had the court itself to worry about. It was set for tomorrow, and Kakashi fully intended to make the event as safe for others as possible. He frowned, remembering his Hokage's orders this morning. At first, everything was ready for a quiet, closed affair. Danzou, of course, had to make a spectacle of this, declaring the proceedings to be public. In a sense it was good, since people could attend the procedure and attest to its legitimacy, but not in this case and at such a tumultuous time. Seeing as Danzou himself was going to be present, it was bound to turn into a disaster. He had to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible during the trial, and that was exactly what he was going to think on when he comes back to his study.

Upon finally entering the safety of his home Kakashi quickly retreated to his sanctuary. Although during the past days it had somewhat transformed, reflecting his wife's constant presence, like all the other rooms in the house. A trinket here and there, a new book on the reading table every now and then, Hinata's touch was subtle but it changed things up quite significantly. Everything felt tidier, warmer. Even the curtains in the study hung neater, in a perfect order that he himself would have never bothered to arrange.

Hinata constantly visited, be it to borrow a book from the library or bring him tea. They chatted there as well, discussing Hyuga matters, ninja arts or other things. More often than not, Kakashi just did his work while Hinata sat nearby in her armchair at the corner, quietly reading a book. Kakashi enjoyed those bonding sessions with his wife, even though many of them passed in complete silence. It was as if Hinata just simply wanted to be with him as much as she could. The thought never failed to warm Kakashi's heart and give him hope. Perhaps with enough time, their closeness could grow even more.

The Jounin Commander felt the smile already tug at his lips as his wife opened the door, bringing in tea and snacks. The drink was freshly brewed, and the fruits were cutely chopped and arranged perfectly on the plate. He never ceased to marvel at her inhuman efficiency. Afterall, she managed to keep the house in impeccable order, trained as hard as him and all the while took care of his and her little sister's petty problems. He honestly started to feel a little useless when all the chores were completed before he even remembered that they needed to be done.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

Despite his callous choice of words, the tone with which her husband said them clearly reflected his feelings to be quite the opposite. She had long used to Kakashi's slight social ineptitude and only smiled, shaking her head in negative. She took her place opposite of him, handing him his cup.

Confirming that Hinata really did wish to spend her time on him, Kakashi gratefully accepted the proffered drink, blowing on it carefully.

"How was your day today?" she asked the usual question.

Kakashi smiled. He could definitely get used to this.

"Fine," he said. "Not sure I could say the same about tomorrow."

Hinata furrowed her brows in a worried frown. Kakashi couldn't help but find the expression adorable.

"Is it about the trial?" she asked.

"Yeah. Danzou wants to attend, to show everyone his just leadership."

"But you think it will only provoke the others," Hinata finished, accompanied by a heavy sigh from Kakashi. "I'm sure everything will be fine," she reassured softly.

"I hope you are right."

Kakashi continued to brood, the lines of worry still present on the visible part of his face. That was why she insisted on doing all the chores in the house, occasionally recruiting Hanabi for the job. Seeing how Kakashi got enough things to worry about as it is, the least she could do was lift some pressure from his shoulders. That being said, Hinata gently put her hand on his, earning a surprised glance from her husband.

"I can go with you," she declared. "I-I mean everything is easier when there is someone to support you, right? Not like you need any help, but I thought if you are going to speak during the trial…"

Kakashi looked lost for a moment before chuckling lightly, stopping her babbling.

"What?" Hinata asked, embarrassed.

Kakashi's bemused expression did not help her case. She felt like an idiot. What was she suggesting? Moral support? It's not like Kakashi was one of the victims harmed by Hageshi and required emotional support.

"Nothing," Kakashi replied, tugging down his mask to take a sip of his tea. "You are just too nice sometimes," she heard him saying behind the cup.

"What do you mean?"

Kakashi's words made Hinata blush. The way he smiled at her, so warm and honest. The affection in his eyes quickly gave way to mischief, before he began talking.

"No wonder Hanabi-chan is so sissy. The way you spoil her so much," Kakashi explained, already feeling lighter and more relaxed.

"Hey," she said, lightly hitting his arm. "I do not spoil Hanabi! If anyone is spoilt then it's you, mister 'I want miso soup with eggplants every day'!"

Hinata smiled slyly. Kakashi's expression, however, was unreadable. This confused the woman. He kept staring at her with a weird look, like he was contemplating something.

"You surprise me every day," was all he said, his tone astonished.

Hinata laughed. Was her playfulness really that shocking to him? Well, she decided, if they were going to be friends, she'd have to rectify that.

"That's what happens when you get to know a person better. You always find something new about them."

"Well, in that case I hope I also surprise you sometimes," Kakashi said, eyes crinkling in a familiar merry expression. Hinata didn't fail to catch a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Of course you do!" Hinata almost snorted. "I learn something new about you every day. And I like it. Getting to know you," she finished shyly, a smile returning back on her face.

Kakashi's own only seemed to stretch wider.

"I would like to straighten out one more thing," he was grinning fully now. "Just what do you have against miso with eggplants, hm?" he said with false accusation, making Hinata giggle.

They spent the rest of the evening together. Hinata finally reading Icha Icha as she'd promised, Kakashi working. Occasionally, he'd ask her for advice, which she was all too happy to provide. More often, however, he kept pestering her about her progress on the book. She entertained throwing the thing at him if he asked whether she reached chapter 26 one more time.

She would've lied though, if she said that she didn't enjoy it.

* * *

The day of the trial arrived and everyone, including Hageshi himself were seated in the courtroom. Usually, Konoha trials are conducted following a specific protocol, with judges and juries whose job was to provide an impartial and just verdict concurrent with the law. However, in cases where Konoha's integrity as a village was affected or when the matter involved shinobi, Hokage and Jounin Council decided everything. It is done quietly, with the Council and Hokage talking things through and agreeing upon a punishment. It wasn't supposed to be a public proceeding.

Kakashi overlooked the court from his position at a judge panel. As Jounin Commander, he was the chairman and representative of the council. The other members of the board included the Hokage himself, and former councilmen Homura and Koharu. Even though the two didn't retire formally, they still kept to their word, no longer exerting any administrative power. As such, Danzou deemed it appropriate to allow them to participate. It wouldn't change anything, as Kakashi was sure they hated Hageshi's guts as much as anyone.

The Jounin Council, shockingly, had unanimously refused to take part in the proceedings, allowing Kakashi to speak for them. He suspected Hiashi and others had already made all the agreements behind his back, and decided that they could trust him to make the right choice this time.

He cast a careful glance at the people gathered. There were many, shinobi and civilian alike. His eyes stopped when they landed on a familiar spot of indigo hair. Hinata was there, as she'd promised.

Kakashi was surprised by how much he cared that she came. He was both anxious and relieved. On one hand, it was nice to know that she cared; on the other, if things went south, he'd have to worry about her as well. With the tensions building up between civilians and shinobi it was dangerous to be here. Kakashi knew that his wife was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he couldn't help the concern rising in his head.

Fortunately, he'd taken additional precautions. After all, Kakashi who was currently at the judicial panel was a clone. Three other of his clones were present at various places amongst the sitting crowd, disguised, while the real him would take place somewhere closer to Hinata. He'd done the same trick the day of the explosion at Kurenai's former apartment and it worked well enough.

Besides, if there was even a slightest chance that things don't go as planned, he'll be ready to act, much like he did back then after the explosion.

He took a seat at the end of a row, right near his wife, who in turn situated herself beside Hanabi. Evidently, the girl decided to come as well, probably interested to observe how justice was done in Konoha. He figured Hiashi would approve of Hanabi learning even in such a situation. Well, she'd at least get to spend time with her sister. What was about to happen was more of a farce than justice. Merely Danzou getting rid of a tool that's no longer useful to him. If they were truly being just, they'd send themselves to prison along with Hageshi…

"When are they gonna start?" Hanabi asked her sister, loud enough for Kakashi to hear.

He was glad he took a seat so close to the pair, that way he could easily eavesdrop. Even if they spoke in whispers, his hearing was good enough to hear them.

It seemed Hinata did not need to respond, as their Hokage materialized at the center of the panel, signaling for the trial to begin. Danzou tried to look as righteous as possible, practically emanating a picture of a just ruler. His councilmen counterparts were less concerned about appearances, assuming their regular serious scowls. Kakashi's clone looked almost kind in comparison. Sitting amidst the audience, the real he nodded in approval at his clone's professional but approachable demeanor. He did not want to give off mixed signals, his reputation, and by connection, Konoha shinobi reputation as a whole would be affected by how he conducted himself during the trial. Everything must run smoothly, that much was clear to the masked man. Danzou lifted a hand, ceasing all the talk in the courtroom. With a leer half-smile, he declared the trial officially begun, no doubt enjoying his authority over everyone.

Two hours have passed, and the outcome of this trial was pretty much set for everyone. Hageshi's shoulders slumped, the criminal did not hold any illusions regarding his future. He was going to get sentenced for life in the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility, and that's if he was lucky. Good riddance, Kakashi thought, recalling the materials of his case. Hiashi Hyuga ought to start appreciating his son-in-law, Copy Nin thought smugly.

Hageshi had been nonchalant the whole time before the trial, fully believing that Danzou would bail him out. His shortsightedness prevented him from understanding that Danzou's protection could be retracted as easily as it was bestowed. It seemed now he'd finally realized the gravity of his situation. Alas, nothing could help him now. Danzou wouldn't save him even if he changed his mind; his reputation was at stake after all.

Kakashi and all the others watched with disgust as Hageshi was being led away by guards. The man squirmed and wriggled in a futile protest. He seemed to lose his composure completely, spouting excuses and pleading for mercy.

"Pathetic," he heard Hanabi say, and he completely agreed.

Kakashi averted his eyes from the hysterical convict, looking at Hinata. What he saw surprised him once again. Instead of understandable disgust, or even satisfaction, he saw an expression of pity. She _pitied _that depraved pile of shit! True, it was a pitiful sight, but Kakashi couldn't think that pity would be the predominant expression on anybody's face regarding Hageshi Hikohiro. Hatred was more expected. A soft smile graced his lips, only his wife could find it in herself to feel more pity than anger towards the most despicable of people.

It seemed he was staring for a bit too long, as Hinata turned and caught his eyes. She smiled politely.

"It seems the trial is over," she said, trying to make small talk.

"Indeed," he managed a reply, overcoming his surprise at her unexpected friendliness.

He was disguised after all, so he should seem like a total stranger, and yet she'd strike up a conversation with him. For a moment he thought she saw through his Henge somehow, but it was generally impossible to see through, as an experienced ninja such as himself would make a perfect, undetectable disguise.

"I heard there is a press conference planned after the trial," she continued, keeping up the conversation.

"Sort of."

There was indeed something of sorts planned. In fact, it was already starting, with people slowly clearing the courtroom, leaving mostly the press for their event. One journalist had already presented the first question to clone-Kakashi. As soon as he answered, another hand rose up. After a few questions, people got bolder, encouraged by Kakashi's approachable attitude. Consequently, he received the most questions. Real Kakashi studied Danzou's expression intently. The man was scowling, a stark contrast to his appearance during the trial. Obviously, he did not take Kakashi's apparent popularity with press lightly. He was enduring being ignored so far, but Kakashi knew that what Danzou hated the most was to be in someone's shadow. Rather ironic, considering the meaning of the title of Hokage.

After some time, real Kakashi got bored, the questions were uninteresting and typical. Nobody dared ask any questions that might lead to Hokage getting exposed for involvement in Hageshi's crimes. He made sure the press "behaved themselves", as Danzou put it, before the trial even started. People were asking the most harmless of questions, as if rehearsed.

'_Good_,' he noted, not wanting any incidents now, when the hardest part was already behind. Perhaps today would be a good day for his reputation, after all. He continued to listen, but his attention was mostly turned to his wife. She had a funny look on her face, eyes gleaming with an unfamiliar expression. He could only guess what exactly happening at the front could have warranted such a look from Hinata. Kakashi didn't get to muse on it more as a familiar voice suddenly echoed in the courtroom.

"I was asking why everyone is being so scared!"

Everyone's eyes were immediately on the brunette that asked the question.

"I'm afraid I do not understand," clone-Kakashi replied.

Kakashi was relieved his clone could manage to gather his wits. Normally, a journalist must introduce themselves before asking a question, but if Kakashi demanded Tenten to tell her name she could have trouble later on. Thus, his clone had quickly redirected the conversation from her to him.

"Oh, please," the woman drawled, "You, of all people, should know perfectly well. Why are the reporters not asking real questions?" Tenten's voice was accusatory, the girl standing strong by her words. She looked everyone around her in the eyes. "I was asking you!" she yelled. "Why are you tucking your tails between your legs now, hm? Does anybody here–"

"I'll ask a question," Kakashi, the real Kakashi, interrupted, standing up and tumbling his chair down on the floor behind him with a loud bang. Hinata and Hanabi beside looked up at him from their seats with a startle. The situation was quickly getting out of hand. He had to act immediately if he wanted to prevent any casualties. Hence, his move with the chair. Now that he'd gotten everybody's attention, he fixed Tenten with a glare, continuing, "Why won't you shut up?"

Numerous gasps could be heard around them in the courtroom. Hushed muttering erupted throughout, no doubt people expected a scene to unfold. What crazy person would attract such attention from Kakashi and the Hokage to himself? Danzou was looking at him, sharp eyes assessing the situation, waiting. Kakashi had to make sure he remained that way. He knew that several dozen Root members were stationed everywhere in the building. They had sensors with them, but Kakashi wasn't bothered, confident in his masking abilities. What concerned him was the fact that all these shinobi were ready for Hokage's signal, a flick of his wrist and they would spring into action. Whenever these guys were involved, beatings and chaos always ensued, ultimately resulting in a number of people ending up in jail. Kakashi had to stop Root from acting, and the only way to do that was to act first himself. It was a delicate situation: draw too much attention and Danzou will certainly summon Root; too little and somebody else will surely be the cause of it.

Like Tenten, for instance.

Speaking of which, the young ninja was fuming. She did not take lightly to being interrupted and getting insulted on top of it.

"Why are you attacking me?!" she snarled indignantly. "I'm trying to–"

Once again, she didn't get to finish as Kakashi cut her off.

"I don't care what you are trying to do!" he growled, making sure to sound and look as aggravated as possible. "You are just wasting my time!"

"If she was wasting your time, perhaps you should've left instead of making a scene? Attendance is not compulsory after all." This time it was clone-Kakashi's turn to speak. He needed to redirect the real Kakashi's anger on himself.

"Oh, do shut up!" disguised Kakashi spat at his clone, his plan already being initiated. In the corner of his eye he spied the journalists' anticipating expressions. No doubt they expected Kakashi Hatake to resort to violence once again. His previous actions in similar situations were infamous for that, after all. If things go as intended, nobody will get hurt.

His clone, to his credit, acted out his part perfectly. Anger bubbled up within him, face contorting in a heated scowl. His clone looked at Danzou, as if asking for permission. Danzou nodded, seemingly content with observing for the time being. Getting his clue, the clone-Kakashi leaped from his seat at the judge panel and in the blink of an eye landed in front of his real disguised self. His clone then proceeded to land a heavy punch on Kakashi's stomach, making Hanabi beside them jump. Real Kakashi doubled over in pain, falling on his knees. Clone-Kakashi then grabbed his head and shoved his knee on to his face. Kakashi's disguised form could not keep blood from gushing down his nose a result of the impact. He fell on the floor, clutching his bleeding nose and squirming in pain as realistically as possible.

Clone-Kakashi looked around, noting everyone's stunned expressions. Nobody would even dare to make a sound, and that was exactly what he needed. He specifically avoided turning his gaze on Hinata for fear of her reaction. If he had though, he would've noticed the recognition in both Hinata and Hanabi's eyes. After all, they were one of the few who knew of his tactic of beating himself in disguise.

Danzou was the one who interested Copy Nin the most at the moment. Old crone just smirked, there was his opportunity. He knocked loudly on the floor with his cane. Once he got everyone's attention, he spoke.

"Now, Kakashi, it was too brash of you, don't you think?" he gave a crooked smile. "I expected better from you."

Judging by the feigned disappointment in his voice, Danzou decided to play a benevolent ruler. All the better for Kakashi. That way the trouble would surely be averted. All the Root around finally pacified by their master's lack of reaction.

"Get that man medical help. I think we had enough excitement for the day." With those words Danzou turned to leave, no longer interested in further happenings.

The part about getting him medical help was clearly said for the sake of formality, as no one seemed to be coming to his aid. Once again, he was reminded of a stark contrast between Danzou and Sandaime. Hiruzen Sarutobi would stop to help a child with a scraped knee, while the man who bore the title of current Hokage left an injured man in the courtroom to his own devices. He could be dying, and the man would not bat an eyelash.

Danzou's second suggestion, however, was to be taken as an order. Everyone snapped back, standing up and hurrying towards the exit. The beating they witnessed shocking even Tenten into submission. Crowd instinct was a powerful phenomenon. It truly could make or break the public order.

Conflict avoided. Mission accomplished.

Kakashi felt the blood continue to trickle from his nose. He did not break it, but he likely busted his upper lip, familiar with the injury and how it can also cause a nosebleed. He felt two pairs of hands picking him up. To his mortification, his helpers were none other than the Hyuga sisters.

"Are you alright," Hinata asked with compassion. "Let me see your face."

He obliged, more due to his shock than the actual want to heal his injuries. His clone made sure to make it look dramatic, when in truth it was but a minor wound.

Talk about maintaining a reputation, he thought ruefully. How in the world was he going to clear his name after all those stunts he's pulled?

"Thanks," he croaked, touching his face and making sure he listened to what she had to say about his injury. He still wasn't sure if they realized it was Kakashi they were speaking to under this disguise.

"Do you want to go home first?" he heard Hanabi ask. She gave him a meaningful look, clearing any doubts he had about them knowing who he was.

He nodded understandigly. "I'll see you there."

With that promise, he left the building without any further words of acknowledgement for the Hyuga sisters. No doubt Hanabi was complaining about how rude he was being. His clones have long since gone, making Hinata and Hanabi the last people to leave the courtroom. What happened today was sure to cement his reputation of a bad guy in Konoha. He just hoped that it won't affect Hinata and Hanabi in any way. With heavy heart, he dispelled his disguise in the privacy of a random alley and ventured going home.

Kakashi sat there for what seemed like hours, contemplating. Worrying. He didn't even know why was he so worried. Did he think they'd hate him for what he did even after Hinata explicitly told him that he was a hero for doing it? He felt his anxiety spike when he heard the sound of the front door opening and turned to see his wife and her sister enter. Surprisingly, it was barely time for dinner, as the clock on the wall showed ten past six. He wondered if it was a good sign that they came so early. Immediately, the younger Hyuga sent him a glare, as if telling him not to get his hopes up. Not discouraged enough to follow the warning, Kakashi spoke.

"Welcome back, Hinata, Hanabi-chan."

Instead of the silence he anticipated, Hinata's response was to greet him back, albeit a little less enthusiastic.

"Hello," she said, to Hanabi's utter disbelief.

The look she sent him was one that promised further discussion. It seemed once again his wife had given him the benefit of the doubt. Kakashi couldn't help the hope that bubbled within. He quietly followed the two inside, sitting at the table. He was about to start talking when Hinata went to the kitchen, intent to serve food first and talk later.

Kakashi and Hanabi sat in silence, only the sounds of Hinata's preparations interrupting it. After some time, he felt like he needed to say something. Hanabi was his friend too, so he should explain himself. However, the girl had no need for his excuses, it seemed.

"You don't need to explain," she said, loud enough to be heard from the kitchen.

Kakashi was surprised. He thought she'd be the first to jump him with accusations, but judging from her expression, Hanabi understood, or at least thought that she understood.

"I am not stupid. It was pretty obvious that girl was about to cause trouble," she continued, referring to Tenten. "Did you have to beat yourself so badly?"

He was astounded by Hanabi's shrewdness. Not only did she make a correct observation about Tenten causing potential danger to herself and others, but was also able to deduce a right conclusion from his actions. Hiashi certainly didn't make a poor choice in appointing her as his successor. Hinata would obviously do her best, and be a kind ruler, but he felt like her excessive empathy would prevent her from taking decisive action. She certainly would suffer as a result of guilt if she were to commit a tough decision. Hanabi, in comparison, was a perfect balance between benevolence and harshness, she would be a just but strict leader, having enough malice to eliminate her enemies and force her will upon her subordinates if need be. There was also the matter of the younger Hyuga simply being better suited to tolerate all the scheming and manipulation associated with politics and wield it to her and her clan's benefit. Kakashi did not know if Hiashi made a similar conclusion when he made Hanabi heiress, but it was no excuse to disown his own daughter. He wondered if there were other factors at play there. Things that only Hiashi was privy to. The man did not seem unreasonable, and there was no good reason politically to disown your own daughter. He would've pondered on it more, but a sound of someone clearing their throat brought him back to reality. He turned to see that the table had been already set, Hanabi gestured towards Hinata with her eyes.

"I needed something sudden, something unexpected to divert Danzou's attention," Kakashi shrugged. "It had to look real, so…"

All this time spent advising Danzou was paying off. He spent hours listening and talking to the man, all the while closely observing his habits and behavior. By now Kakashi could confidently claim that he knew Danzou better than anyone. Anyone living anyway. And if he knew him as well as he thought he did, then Tenten was safe. It was highly unlikely that she was in any trouble for speaking against Hokage, since Kakashi managed to interrupt her in time, before she could say anything truly damaging.

"I get it, but couldn't you knock out that girl instead?" Hanabi asked, much to Hinata's shock.

"Tenten is a capable ninja, and I do not possess super speed. If I were to attack her instead she'd fight back and then..." Kakashi explained. "Unfortunately, that was the only sure way to shock people into submission." He didn't think it was going to work any more, though. Everyone had their limits, and soon such a stunt from him won't be able to scare the citizens.

"You still don't understand why we are mad at you?" Hanabi asked, not surprised one bit at his denseness.

"You are mad at me?" Kakashi replied, confused. He thought they already knew it was him back at the trial. Were his worries not baseless after all?

"Neesan, tell him," Hanabi turned to her sister, crossing her arms.

"Well," Hinata stumbled, "not exactly mad but… Could you… stop doing that?"

Hanabi rolled her eyes. Those two honestly deserved each other, she thought, watching how the two people who were supposed to be adults in this room squirmed timidly around each other.

"She means could you stop beating the crap out of yourself everytime someone starts a fuss," Hanabi finally supplied, having enough of the pair's childish antics. She could practically see the question roll off of Gray-hair's tongue when she already answered it. "There are people who worry about you, you know?"

Hanabi's words surprised the Copy Nin. He looked at his wife, noticing how she was nodding fiercely. So they didn't want him to harm himself; he understood now.

"Alright," he nodded as well. "It's not like I enjoy beating myself up."

"Thankfully," was Hanabi's snarky comment. Honestly, it wasn't such a good idea anyway. There had to be better ways to maintain public order than through fear.

It was Kakashi's turn to roll his eyes now.

"So, you think Tenten is going to be okay?" Hinata was obviously concerned for her friend now that they have established that Kakashi will no longer employ his ridiculous tactic of self-harming.

"I am sure."

What can happen to her if she keeps up that attitude, however, was a different story. As if reading his mind, Hinata spoke up.

"I'll make sure to tell her not to do anything rash."

"Yeah, I can't believe she can be so dumb! What in the world possessed her to speak against Hokage like that?" Hanabi, despite her brash personality seemed to know well when to keep her mouth shut. Kakashi guessed he had to thank Hiashi Hyuga's influence for that.

"Hanabi!" exclaimed Hinata. "I'd appreciate if you didn't badmouth my friends all the time" she scolded her little sister, who just huffed in response.

"Not my fault that you have dumb friends."

"Now, Hanabi-chan, Hinata is right. Tenten is not stupid," agreed Kakashi sagely.

Hinata smiled at him, glad that her sister had a male figure who could calmly explain rather than yell and reprimand. Hanabi was hot headed when she could afford it, and she liked to argue. Even she had trouble reasoning with her sister sometimes. Kakashi had a way with words that never made him sound patronizing. Somehow, he managed to gain her sister's respect. She hoped his breezy yet pragmatic personality would rub off on Hanabi.

Until she heard him finish, that is. "But what she did was stupid."

It looked like Hanabi's cheekiness will most likely rub off on Kakashi first. Hinata sighed, amused. Here she thought that Kakashi will be a positive influence, but it seemed the two were more likely to band together against her. She looked at her husband's contented expression and her sister's smug one. For now, she decided she'd let it slide. She smiled devilishly inside. '_Later,_' she told herself, '_I'll show them proper upbringing._'

For now, she was content to let them share this small victory. The two were agreeing on something for once. Kakashi didn't seem to be determined to annoy Hanabi much tonight, which Hinata was thankful for. So help her if they start causing trouble again, like their food fight last week. They spent the whole evening cleaning the house. Originally, she wasn't supposed to do any work since it was their punishment for causing the mess, but eventually she ended up joining them anyway. They grumbled and whined a lot, but their demeanor changed completely after she started helping them out. They started working as if they were being whipped. Guilt, she realized, was a powerful weapon. Kakashi and Hanabi were more alike than they thought.

A sudden realization came to her. Lately, she was noticing how content she was to simply sit with those two troublemakers and listen them bicker and tease. She could understand why she felt comfortable around her sister, that was a given. And being so genial with Kakashi felt natural at this point. She needed _years _to establish friendship with her teammates, and yet here she was smiling and laughing and _teasing _with Kakashi, after barely eight weeks of knowing him.

Kakashi, who seemed so unapproachable and distant when she was a kid. That was a thing with distant and unapproachable, she thought – they are lonely. She wondered if anyone else aside from his teammates has bothered to approach the man. Or perhaps it was only her and her sister who he allowed to get close? Or was it that he needed to allow himself to care about someone and befriend them first? Hinata's heart clenched when she thought about a kind and loyal person like Kakashi being afraid to get close to anybody. What demons must a man possess to build such a solid wall around himself?

"Are you alright?" she heard his concerned voice. Apparently, her heavy thoughts didn't get unnoticed by her husband.

"I'm okay," she tried to smile, banishing those depressing thoughts.

No need to get so sad. He'd opened up to them, right? Then that meant he could open up to everyone else, and they would see him for a wonderful person he really was.

"You do remember what I said, don't you?" he asked playfully, glad to see her smile was back.

Of course, she remembered. That was a first time her husband told her he cared. '_Your concerns are not unimportatnt to me. Nor I consider your opinions to be of no consequence._' She could expect her friends to say something like that, but never someone like Kakashi. That night convinced her that the man before her was worth to give a chance. All she hoped was that he accepted it.

She blushed upon realization of the double meaning of her thoughts. All her mind could supply now was that she could give him a chance romantically, seeing as he was her husband and they already had an amicable relationship. She felt giddy and unsurprisingly excited as she imagined herself involved with Kakashi, all the positive qualities he had. He was kind, selfless and loyal and so much more. Everytime he smiled Hinata found herself wanting to do the same. Not to mention how handsome Kakashi was…

Her face was becoming progressively redder with her thoughts taking a turn towards uncharted territories. And of course, Kakashi had to notice it, as she felt his ungloved hand on her forehead.

"I-I'm alright," she stammered, too embarrassed by her thoughts. His touch burning despite his hands being cold.

"You are hot," he said, a sliver of concern in his expression.

The way he phrased it caused another wave of heat to rush to her cheeks.

"I'm fine!" she said, a little too loud. "It's probably all the stuffiness in the house. Why don't we go outside?"

"Yeah, we could train!" Hanabi exclaimed.

Hinata could kiss her little sister right there and then for her timely save. Kakashi took her words for it, shrugging and heading towards the door. He waited for them in the corridor until Hanabi ushered him outside declaring a training session.

"Your house sucks! Let's go outside!" the little Hyuga said, practically pushing him out the door.

"I'll have you know this house is a familial property," he proclaimed with exaggerated pomp. "It belongs to the Hatake clan."

"Must be a small clan then," Hanabi teased. Indeed, Kakashi's house was just that – a house. To call it a manor or a clan compound would be a blatant exaggeration.

"I am the only living member, after all," he confirmed, not offended at the jab.

"You forgot about someone, dumbass."

Hinata was so scandalized by her sister's inconsiderate and rude behavior, that she didn't immediately get the meaning of her words. Kakashi, however, did not seem to be upset at her unempathetic words at all. He just looked at Hanabi confusedly. His face remained pensive for a few seconds, before he started shaking his head, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Although I consider them a family, my ninken are not officially part of the Hatake clan," he said with an indulgent tone, looking every bit a teacher who had just been asked an unusual but interesting question by his curious pupil.

This response earned him a kick from Hanabi.

Copy Ninja let a sound of pain almost loud and undignified enough for it to be considered a yelp. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his offended shin.

"You really are clueless. For a supposed genius, you are pretty dumb!" Hanabi admonished mercilessly.

He was about to voice his confusion when he realized what Hanabi was talking about. He forgot that Hinata, being his wife, was officially a Hatake.

"Oh," he said, realizing his oversight. "I'm sorry."

Hinata herself did not know what Hanabi was talking about until Kakashi apologized to her. His expression looked genuinely remorseful. As if he expected her to turn her back on him because of such a trivial thing. Well, normally forgetting that your wife is part of your family is not a good thing, but their circumstances were not exactly normal. It was understandable that he did not see her as part of his clan. She herself still felt as a Hyuga, despite being disowned. She felt old bitterness resurface after remembering that particular fact.

Kakashi seemed to notice the change in her face, as he seemed to physically shrink into himself, no doubt blaming himself for no reason again. Hinata's expression immediately softened.

'_He is trying too hard_,' she told herself, for umpteenth time since their marriage.

"I am not angry, Kakashi," she informed him gently. "Not because of that anyway. You don't need to treat me like I'm made of glass. I can take a hit too, you know."

He kept silent for a little while, understanding clear on his face. He relaxed, adopting a sheepish expression.

"I'm sorry."

Hinata let out a giggle. "You are doing that again!" she accused, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"What?" Kakashi asked, looking between his wife and his sister-in-law. "What did I do this time?!"

"You sure you are a genius?" Hanabi snickered, taking no little entertainment at his expense.

Not getting an answer, Copy Nin went ahead to prepare the training yard, grumbling about women and their confusing ways.

Hinata watched her husband work himself up, feeling guilty. She wondered how such a stoic man could beat himself over every small matter when it concerned her. She suspected he too still felt guilty for imposing this marriage on her. And her gentle personality probably didn't help to ease his guilt. She made a mental note to talk about it later with him, as well as show that she was comfortable with their arrangement. She didn't want him to worry about her on top of his responsibilities for the village.

"You are too forgiving to him, sis," she heard Hanabi complain.

"You think so?" Hinata asked, still remembering her little sister's tactless words about Kakashi's clan.

"Yeah, totally. You need to be more assertive," Hanabi pressed, as if Kakashi was the only one benefitting from Hinata's leniency. "Otherwise he will never learn."

Younger Hyuga seemed content digging her own grave.

"Well," Hinata smiled, "then I'll be stricter. And as a newly reformed stricter person I think you should apologize for what you said earlier about his clan."

Hinata made sure to infuse her words with enough sternness, so that her sister will have no option other than do as she was told. Turns out she didn't need it, as a flash of guilt passed Hanabi's expression. She watched with amusement as Hanabi went ahead to catch up with Kakashi, complaining all the while and sighing dramatically, completely mirroring the older man's actions a minute ago. Like brother like sister, she supposed.

Kakashi doesn't need to change, she thought, watching her husband ruffle Hanabi's hair after she delivered her no doubt lackadaisical apology. The girl tried to look annoyed, but her relief was obvious. Hanabi looked at her sister as if to say, 'happy now?' making Kakashi turn towards her as well. He gave her an easy smile, beckoning them to follow him into the training area.

Yep, he is perfect the way he is.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

Tomorrow was an important day for Kakashi, and that was why he was spending all of today in preparation.

Preparation. It seemed it was all he's been doing these past weeks.

It was a week since Hageshi's trial with the past seven days passing in a blur. The reason being Danzou's yet another brilliant scheme to push one of his useless laws. Today was the last day for him to prepare his case, before he had to go to Konoha Ninja Academy for negotiations.

_"Kakashi," _Danzou told him on the next day after the trial. _"As you know, the academy administration is determined to oppose my every recommendation regarding the students' education. They are persistent in their defiance, and in their pride, they fail to see the benefits of the reforms I am suggesting."_

Of course, his _recommendations _were totally ridiculous. For instance, who in the world would like the academy to be relocated to the outskirts of Konoha? Konoha ninja academy had always been in the historical center of Konoha, at the very base of the Hokage Mountain, and shared the very same building with the Hokage himself. It was a clever, if not a little idealistic decision by Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to allow the impressionable youth grasp what it meant to be a shinobi from their own Kage's example. Kakashi didn't know what possessed Lord Second when he founded the Academy, whether it was another act of shrewdness or an indulgence of momentary tenderness on his part, but the Academy grounds were designed to be joint with Hokage's workplace. That way, the students got to meet their leader regularly, and the Hokage got to supervise their progress. Kakashi could imagine Tobirama curse his decision a thousand times over as the sound of dozens of kids concentrated right under your window could grate on one's nerves. Danzou did not give a reason for that particular recommendation, but Kakashi was willing to bet that it had to do with kids annoying him with their constant noise.

Another of Danzou's ingenious suggestions was to make the Academy into a boarding school, which was reasonable, considering that orphans could benefit from living at their school rather than come back to their orphanages every day, where no one understood them because they are ninjas anyway. However, Danzou took his idea up a notch, suggesting that living at the Academy should be compulsory for every child enrolled. That obviously was met with heavy resistance not only from the school personnel, but the parents as well. One can only wonder what was on their Hokage's mind when he thought separating all those old and noble clans' children from their families would be a good idea. Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Aburame, and many others weren't happy with this proposal. And that is not to mention regular parents, who wouldn't like to be separated from their children.

Needless to say, Kakashi was not particularly popular among Konoha parents and clans, seeing as it was him that was tasked with negotiations. Danzou liked to use him as a lightning rod to divert people's anger from himself. Kakashi relayed Danzou's laws, being a public image for Konoha government and bearing the hatred that would undoubtedly rise each time another ridiculous act was passed. In a rare occurrence that their initiative was met with public approval, Danzou was sure to take all the credit, the bastard.

There were many more plans for the Academy from Danzou, but they were at their bud, far from getting any significant attention from their ambicious Hokage yet. Kakashi shuddered at the tought of his Academy being turned into a Root training facility ten years into Danzou's rule. He had to make sure none of Danzou's "education reforms" came to fruition.

He spent the whole week brainstorming ideas, forming convoluted plans and contingencies, and contingencies for contingencies, but he was yet to find the most optimal outcome that would satisfy every party involved. So deep in thought he was that he didn't notice his wife entering the study in her usual pastime.

"How is your work?" she said, putting a tray of tea on the desk, startling him. "You seem troubled," she explained when he thanked her for the tea and snacks.

"It's just that I am at a dead end here," Kakashi found himself telling her, absently noting how all the biscuits on the plate were of his favorite flavor. Instead of taking a book and sitting at her corner as usual, Hinata pulled the chair closer to his desk and sat attentively, urging him to continue.

"Danzou wants me to convince everyone to agree to moving the Academy, and make it a compulsory boarding school," he said, sighing tiredly.

"Why does he want you to convince anyone?" she asked. "Couldn't he just force them to comply?"

"He could, but it would be a poor move from his part. Academy matters were traditionally governed by its administration, and the Academy itself is historically placed beside the Hokage office. Not to mention our reputation is far from favorable. It is better if they do it out of their own volition," he explained.

Konoha Academy was one of the things that made the village's clans cooperate together. Being a place of common heritage, it united all the clans as no matter the background, virtually every shinobi had to make their first steps in the ninja world through Academy. Hinata could understand everybody's dissatisfaction with Danzou's indifference to such a symbolic place.

"Why do you say 'our' reputation, when it is clearly Danzou who is pulling all the strings?" she asked, frowning.

"Well, it is me who is getting the brunt of people's resentment, and I am part of Konoha's government, so…" Kakashi trailed off. He did not understand why it bothered his wife but judging from her shaking her head he could see she disagreed.

"Others may not know the truth, but you know it," she told him firmly. "And I know it, so you can stop associating yourself with that man when you are with me."

He hadn't thought about it like that. What others thought about him was a fact. He was with Danzou. However, what he thought about himself was true as well. She was right. At least in his head he could stop pretending and draw a clear line between himself and his Hokage. And Hinata thought he wasn't enemy, too. He turned to look at her and saw her smiling at him. She must have noticed the realization in his eyes. It was oddly liberating to talk with someone who clearly separated Danzou from him. People started using his and their Hokage's names interchangeably long ago, and he was long used to it. However, Hinata reminded him that he was his own person, that he was still on the side opposite to Danzou. She believed in him even when he himself started to show signs of giving up. It made him feel ashamed. He knew that he wasn't on Danzou's side, of course, but it seemed he didn't tell it himself enough to _feel like it_. With Hinata, he felt like he was genuinely on the side of good, and not deceiving himself by playing a spy.

"Thanks," he told his wife sincerely. She nodded, still smiling, and turned to leave when he stopped her. "Hinata, wait," he called lamely. "I thought maybe you could help me with this problem." With those words Copy Nin gestured on the pile of documentation on his desk, as if to say that he couldn't allow getting stuck on the Academy business since he had a lot more work to do on top of that.

Lavender eyes lit up, and his wife sat back opposite to him, all ears.

"You see, I am trying to think how I could stop those stupid reforms, but one way or another my plans would lead to trouble. Obviously, there can be no compromise, at least regarding Academy's reformation into a boarding facility. I also suspect that Danzou might try to enforce his idea anyway, and all I can do is stall as much as possible," he looked helplessly at Hinata, praying she had some insight on the matter.

She hummed and went into thinking, it looked like. Kakashi couldn't help but notice how her brows creased slightly when she concentrated. It was oddly interesting to observe. Finally, after a lengthy silence she spoke.

"You cannot convince Danzou of your idea. Why not make Danzou think that your idea is his idea, so that he doesn't need any convincing?" she suggested thoughtfully.

Kakashi's face was deadpan. He remained like that for what felt like very long, and Hinata started to think he thought her an idiot. She was about to laugh away her suggestion in dismissal, when he chuckled, slapping his forehead.

"How did I not think of it myself?!" he exclaimed. He chuckled again. "Thanks, Hinata," he said, giving her such an elated look that made her feel funny inside.

The expression in Kakashi's eyes made her feel like she did something amazing, when in reality all she did was make a suggestion even she thought was too vague and sounded silly. Kakashi, however, seemed to disagree.

"I was focusing too much on the case itself, when I should have been focusing on Danzou instead," he admitted after finally taking a generous sip of his tea. "If I cannot change the reform itself, because Danzou won't accept any changes, I need to make him reject the reforms completely. That would be far more effective than trying to do any damage control."

"But if you can't convince him to make any adjustments, how are you going to convince him to dismiss the whole initiative?" Hinata asked, perplexed.

"Simple," he smiled. "Danzou is an opportunist. The moment he believes his cause is no longer beneficial or less beneficial than the other he switches sides. All I need to do is create such an opportunity for him, so he willingly changes his side in this argument."

"I am sure you'll figure it out," his wife reassured, stretching across the desk and patting him on the shoulder. "I'm afraid I am not able to give any advice further than that," she said, turning to leave.

"Yeah, you are right. Thanks anyway," she heard him absently dismiss.

She felt a giggle bubble up inside. No matter how smart, Kakashi had a long way to go in terms of social skills. She could imagine many to find his bluntness rude, but to her it was adorable. He hardly dished out any praise and is always sure to be the first to inform you of your mistake. To her, it only showed that he cared. She always appreciated honesty, never liking when people shielded her because of her supposed gentle nature. Even her own teammates were guilty of this. But Kakashi never shielded her from her shortcomings, he always told her where she did bad, and where she could have done better. Every training with him these past days was like a torture session, but she'd come out a better person by the end of it. She almost wished for something to happen so that she could test her skills in practice.

For Kakashi, she wished good luck and left him to formulate whatever plan he had in mind, glad that she was able to help.

* * *

When it was finally the day Kakashi had to meet with the Academy's board, Hinata found herself more and more nervous with each passing minute. Her husband left two hours ago, and from what she gathered, he was late. Perhaps that was part of his plan, but Hinata still questioned whether it was a good idea to antagonize everyone further by making them wait. He assured her everything was going to be alright, but she couldn't help but worry. She reasoned that part of her nervousness was due to Kakashi following her advice in the matter, so she would feel responsible if whatever he'd had cooked up failed. The anxiety was gnawing on her. Deciding that some fresh air would help, she put on her coat and went for a walk.

Konoha climate was fairly mild, and even now, in the beginning of December, it was yet to snow. Hinata walked along a familiar route, meeting neighbors and vendors whose shops she frequented. They always greeted her warmly, but since she married Kakashi their faces acquired an expression of sympathy everytime they were looking at her. She also noticed more and more people talk badly of Kakashi himself. Even her friends, when they hung out, let themselves to put her husband down. Her friends she could handle, one nasty look was usually enough for them to shut up. It were the strangers' stares and whispers that grated on her nerves. "_It's not like that!_" she wanted to yell. She wanted to hold them by their shoulders and shake them, telling them that Kakashi was a good man, didn't they see? That he was still a hero. She wanted to tell everyone how amazing he was and how everyone was wrong about him. But everytime she opened her mouth to correct them, every time she wanted to retort on their whispers of sympathy, she thought about how it would affect what Kakashi was doing. If he was cautious enough to hide the truth from even his friends, then could she really go around defending him? What if she was being watched, and the enemy could figure out Kakashi's intention through her? It was that worry that prevented her from speaking. Instead, she smiled and laughed, showing them that there was no reason for them to pity her, no reason to think that her husband is mistreating his wife.

Aside from the rumors that he was abusing her, there were many others. Fueled by truth and not, they pretty much destroyed Kakashi's reputation among civilians and many shinobi. Ninja were more loyal to him; the reputation of the great _Copy Ninja _was hard to ruin. From those who were shinobi the ones who didn't know him that well were most likely to believe the rumors. She spoke with Yugao, Yamato and many other Kakashi's friends, and found that they went on as if nothing happened. Obviously, the topic was uncomfortable for them, but not once did they show any doubt as to Kakashi's character. What she saw in their eyes was disappointment. Like when your child did something wrong, but you continued loving them, despite their actions. They stuck with him since he was a kid, so she hoped they would continue doing so despite the circumstances. When this whole business is finished, she was sure they could all laugh about it one day.

Hinata wandered aimlessly for what felt like quite some time, before noticing with little humor where exactly her legs decided to bring her to.

Konoha Shinobi Academy.

She considered going back, surely Kakashi will not appreciate her barging in the middle of his job, but the commotion outside at the Academy grounds attracted her attention.

Kakashi stood in the yard, listening to a litany of insults. By now he began to half-jokingly doubt whether he should be so glad that he managed to agitate everyone. He was glad, however, that he managed to pull the board of directors outside. Sitting in a closed space of their office would make it difficult to get Danzou's attention. Now, Academy staff, angry parents and even some students were surrounding him, shouting at him in indignation. So far so good, he thought, looking up at the sky, noting with the corner of his eye that Hokage's office window was right above them. Apparently, someone took his motion as an indication that he wasn't paying any attention, for he felt being poked harshly in the chest. He turned his head back to see a fuming Iruka.

"Kakashi-san, are you even listening?"

"Maa, sorry, Iruka-sensei," he gave him a fake smile. "I just got tired of listening to people's whining."

Despite Kakashi being especially annoying today, Iruka held himself well, the chest poke being the only action that broke his decency so far. He hoped someone else would take the bait, and surely, some Inuzuka grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around angrily.

"The fuck do you think you are?"

Leave it to Inuzuka to instigate a fight. A fight right now would be unnecessary, though. Kakashi only needed for people to get angrier, not violent. And the best way to make an Inuzuka angrier without provoking them is to ignore them.

"I am serious, though," he started to shout, "do you people have anything constructive to say about our recommendations or you are going to continue insulting me?"

His response made the crowd still for a moment, before they processed his words and the yard erupted in a roar of fury. Iruka and Academy council, to their credit, kept their composure; they continued observing the situation, no doubt happy to let him know just what people thought of his initiative. Kakashi suspected it was due to years of having to deal with obnoxious students and sometimes their equally obnoxious parents. Iruka, curse his rational nature, managed to calm people down enough to make them speak one by one.

"Let's not yell, everyone," Iruka shouted in what Kakashi thought was a pretty impressive teacher voice. "If Kakashi-san wants to hear constructive criticism," he looked in his direction irritatedly, "then why don't we give it to him. Again."

Truth is, they had told him numerous times that they won't allow anything to change in their academy. Making them repeat themselves on deaf ears would surely cause more anger.

"Yeah, I don't know who came up with this idea," one parent started, "but clearly they never sent their children to this Academy before. It's got the best location, and–"

"And right under the nose of our Hokage," yelled someone, interrupting the first man. Of course, it was just one of Kakashi's disguised clones. "Rokudaime-sama respects tradition, I doubt he'd approve of you butchering our beloved village's history by moving Academy to some outskirts."

"Yeah," said another clone, before anybody could say anything. "And what about all this boarding school stuff? I can understand if it was optional, but forcing our children to live at school?"

This statement was met with more support than the previous one. Kakashi spied a glance at the window above, noticing a familiar silhouette standing behind the glass. '_Just a little more_' he thought.

"This all sounds nice, but the matter has already been finalized," he said. "No one at this point can stop it."

That was another bait, but this time directed at Danzou. The man liked to flaunt his authority, so maybe he would be subconsciously pulled to stop him just to show everyone how powerful he was.

"I don't care what you say, you are not the Academy, and you are not the Hokage. Your words hold no value regarding the matter."

"This is outrageous!" he heard one woman complain. "Mark my words tomorrow everyone will hear about this injustice!"

Kakashi noticed that the crowd had increased considerably since the beginning of their argument. In no time half of the street will gather to the commotion. It was time to deal a final blow.

"If you are going to do it, I am pulling my kid back from the Academy."

"I have no money to pay for the boarding school."

"Yeah, my Izuku-kun will not be going to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere!"

"I will not allow Tenya to attend if that means he is going to live separately."

"Guess Ochako-chan will have to be homeschooled…"

His clones did a fine job initiating a wave of protest, and now seemingly every parent present was threatening to pull their child out of the Academy. Anything was possible if you get someone angry enough. Kakashi had no doubt that many proud clan members would gladly homeschool their kids if it meant to keep them within their clan's influence. The beauty of Konoha shinobi system was that academy attendance was totally flexible. As long as you pass the final exam, you can skip all the classes you want. Kakashi himself was a famous example, completing his studies within just one academic year, when it normally takes several for a student to pass.

Danzou could ignore everything up until this point, but now that there was a threat of losing students he had to intervene. Kakashi looked around, there were at least a hundred people. Danzou would have to be an idiot to miss such an opportunity to improve his image. Indeed, the man appeared as soon as the crowd started showing any signs of unity.

"Kakashi, may I ask, what is the meaning of all this ruckus?" the old man inquired.

Danzou seemed angry, but Kakashi knew on the inside the man was savouring this moment.

"Hokage-sama, sir," he turned and immediately went on his knee.

Now he was just laying it thick.

"Thank God, Hokage-sama," one of his clones addressed Danzou. "We hoped you could resolve the situation."

Their Hokage gave a condescending smile, "I am sure I can help if you tell me what's going on."

"He wants to move the academy!" his clone pointed an accusating finger at him. "And make it a compulsory boarding school!"

"Ah," Danzou said, that stiff smile still plastered on his face. "Kakashi, I thought I made it clear that _your _suggestions should be made only as recommendations?"

Kakashi let a lost look pass on his face. Better to make him believe he could read him.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama," he bowed, seemingly recovering from shock.

Suddenly, a reporter broke through to them. It was surprising to see such a petite woman shove grown-up ninjas aside to clear her path. The worse the situation the better are the journalists as they say.

"Hokage-sama, do you have anything to say regarding todays situation?" she asked, pointing a microphone to the old bastard.

Danzou smirked, before replying.

"Certainly. I would like to apologize for my colleague's actions. It is inexcusable to impose one's views on others. I warned him before that his ideas regarding our beloved Academy won't be received well, but he still insisted on at least putting a suggestion. All it was supposed to be was a recommendation, we recognize Konoha Academy administration's authority over these matters," he said nodding towards Iruka and other Academy staff. "I urge you to return back to your daily activities. This matter is decided, there will be no changes in the Academy."

As soon as the statement left their Hokage's lips, Kakashi's clones started clapping loudly. As it often happens with applause, it took only a few to start a chain reaction. They now stood in the middle of a cheering crowd, clapping and hooting from every side. People congratulated each other for this victory. Less politically adept ones were even thanking Danzou. The bastard was clearly enjoying himself, basking in stolen glory. Kakashi decided it was as good time as any to take his leave, with nobody sparing him a glance any longer in this triumphal mood.

In his relief, he almost missed a spot of his wife's dark blue hair. Hinata was standing just outside the academy, and it looked like she came out from the same place but stopped to wait for him. She noticed him too, waving her hand.

When he came up to her, she gave him a hesitant smile. It almost looked apologetic. However, once again there was this gleam in her eyes that Kakashi couldn't decipher.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"How do you think did it go?" he sighed, returning a tired smile.

They didn't say anything until they passed further. Only after they reached the main road Hinata spoke.

"I'm pretty sure you used clones again."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

His wife chuckled at his half-hearted attempt to play dumb. It still didn't hurt to be more cautious, he thought.

He was sensing for any spies or eavesdroppers for the umpteenth time when he felt somebody grab his arm. His first reaction was to flinch it away, but it registered in his brain that the sudden movement came from his wife. He realized that she was trying to link her arm with his but couldn't stop himself from stiffening. Evidently, it did not go unnoticed.

"Sorry," she said, hastily retracting her arm as if burned.

Kakashi could see that his actions upset Hinata. She was likely just trying to show him support on this exhausting day. Instead of accepting, he made them both feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help his shinobi reflexes, when somebody suddenly touched him it was usually to hurt him. What, did he think Hinata would perform a grappling hold on his arm in the middle of the street? Why was he so bad at being human?

He felt he had to rectify the situation. He weaved his arm around hers, linking both of their arms in what he hoped was the correct way. Was there even a way to mess this up? He'd like to think not. He'd seen Asuma do it with Kurenai enough times to use the memory as a reference.

He turned to Hinata and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Let me guess," she said, tapping her chin with a finger, no sign of her previous dismay, "you thought I was doing something fishy?"

"No. It was just sudden," he easily denied, accompanied by her laugh.

Hinata was glad that Kakashi liked to close his eyes when he smiled. Otherwise he would've noticed her face reddening up when he linked their arms. He was honestly even more hopeless than she felt herself be.

Before, she thought it was hard to read him because he was good at disguising his emotions. It was true for the most part, but to a good face reader like Hinata it usually took much less time to figure out a person with whom she spent so much time. After all, no matter how good an act you put up, it is bound to slip when you have to guard yourself every day for the rest of your life. He was already a guarded man, and the current situation in Konoha only reinforced his mask. She didn't want him to hide even in his own home, even when they just married and she was still wary of him. Nobody should be hiding in their own home, in the company of their own friends. She hoped this Kakashi was different than the Kakashi she knew before their marriage. Or rather, that he was the same Kakashi, but allowed himself to act more genuinely, with no need to hide behind a mask.

"Say, Kakashi," Hinata addressed her companion. He turned his gaze to her, and she continued, "do you feel any different?"

"I… suppose it is nice?" Kakashi replied, unsure what to say.

The woman beside him giggled, a sonorous, merry sound. He did always notice how her laughter was pleasant.

"Not right now," she told him through laughter. "Do you feel any different than let's say, three months ago?"

Kakashi lifted his eyes up to the sky, considering her question. Did he feel any different than months before? He had no health problems whatsoever, no one close to him died, so that was that. Overall, Konoha's situation was not as bad as he expected, thanks to his actions and Danzou being busy with external affairs. Nothing seemed to happen to drastically change his life, except for…

He glanced at Hinata again. The woman was also looking at the sky, and Kakashi felt his heart grow fonder. Something truly awesome must be up there for her expression to be so enchanting.

"I guess…" he started after a long unfocused pause. "I just feel more."

He watched her from the corner of his eye, Hinata kept her gaze on the sky. It was suspiciously gray, clouds of silver dulling the sunlight, but not blocking it nearly as well as they did in this time of year. Winter sure was merciful this season.

"I'm glad," he heard her say, and a soft smile she let loose could brighten this day even if the sun up above failed.

"Me too," he said, and felt her hold on his arm tightening.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

Hinata was in her favorite teahouse, patiently waiting for a friend to arrive. Sakura was forty minutes late, not an unusual occurrence nowadays. She was basically managing the hospital since Tsunade and Shizune left Konoha. Even the lunchbreaks that she was supposed to have were often ignored in favor of another urgent matter that Sakura had to attend. Seeing her friend work so hard gave Hinata mixed feelings. She admired the pink-haired kunoichi, striving to follow her example and become better herself. However, comparing her own achievements with Sakura's never failed to dampen the Hyuga woman's mood. It wasn't helpful in the least, but Hinata couldn't prevent herself from feeling inferior to her friends sometimes.

All her friends seemed busy with work, with many becoming clan heads after the war. She could imagine their workload going through the roof in these times of crisis. With others working so diligently, Hinata once again felt useless. She was no longer given active duty, she was not involved with Hyuga clan matters, and whatever job she did manage to get was more or less her volunteering to help her friends however she could.

Naturally, with no full-time job, she threw herself into training. She spent hours upon hours every day in a desperate attempt to catch up to her comrades. Kakashi's regimen improved her progress immensely, and after only three months she could feel herself being considerably stronger than before, in every way. She was determined to keep working hard, no matter the circumstance. If she couldn't do anything right now doesn't mean she won't need to later. In the meantime, she needed to keep in touch with her friends, in case any news regarding the opposition arise.

Looking out the window in case she spots her friend, Hinata wondered how great it would be to have a portable phone. She would call Sakura and ask where she was and when was she coming. Just as she began entertaining the idea of feasibility of mobile phones, she saw her arrived friend's form behind the glass.

"Hey," she heard Sakura call her as soon as the woman stepped foot inside the cafe. "Sorry for being so late, work's driving me nuts!"

Hinata smiled understandingly. "Trouble with technicians again?"

"This time it's a nurse," pinkette groaned irritatedly, plopping on the chair opposite to Hinata. "I swear they don't read the standard operating procedures at all! It's always the new ones that manage to mess up, and it's always me who has to fix everything after them!"

"Well, it's understandable if they are new at work, they have no experience after all."

"Tell that to Tsunade-shishou," Sakura scoffed. "She chewed me out every time I did something wrong, and let me tell you, my mistakes were nothing compared to the things I see from those people on a daily basis."

"That's different. You were her apprentice, she had high standards for you."

"And I have reasonable expectations of my own colleagues. Is it so hard to call a pharmacy and investigate why a drug was removed from the regimen?! I don't have to do everything myself!" her pink-haired friend said loudly, throwing hands in the air.

Sakura often tended to get excited easily, especially if she was angry or upset. She noticed her lack of indoor voice made some of the customers look their way with disapproval. Apologizing sheepishly, the medic finally picked up the menu.

"So," she started, much quieter than moments ago, "got any news?"

"Nothing interesting. I was hoping you'd tell me something, actually."

In truth, there was so much to tell, but it all revolved around Kakashi, and Sakura wasn't comfortable discussing it in a public place. Or rather, such action was not sensible considering the circumstances.

"Well, there is one thing I'd like to speak with you about, but I can't talk about it now," she finally gave in.

"We can meet again after work, at my house," Hinata suggested understandingly.

"Sure," her friend replied. She then playfully narrowed her eyes, "So it's _your _house now, huh?"

Hinata did not miss the insinuation in Sakura's tone.

"You know what I mean," she said, pouting. Anyway, she lived there, so she might as well call it her place for simplicity's sake. Calling it "Kakashi's house" sounded weird, considering that they were married and lived together.

They talked a bit more about other inconsequential matters, enjoying their desserts before parting. Sakura promised to visit later that evening. She was also hoping to see her sensei while at it. Apparently, it's been quite some time since they had a casual conversation. All the times the medic interacted with Kakashi lately had been exclusively concerning work.

Hinata wondered if Sakura knew about Kakashi's plans, remembering how assuredly Sakura defended him. She never said anything disapproving about him, dismissing every rumor about her former teacher. Kakashi's student was as adamant in defending him as was his wife. Hinata wouldn't be surprised if he included Sakura in his plans. If he was willing to tell Hinata so much, then there was no doubt Sakura was privy to even more. Plus, Sakura was an important figure in Konoha's hospital, so there was even more sense in letting her know.

Trying to skip some time, Hinata wandered around, exploring Konoha's streets. Most of the destroyed streets were restored back to how they were before the war, but she still noticed minor differences here and there. Like how the streets seemed dirtier, less maintained. Where the streets once bustled with activity now only empty spaces remained. Hinata knew it had to do with more than just the depletion of Konoha population and the post-war crisis. Danzou's regime did not approve of large public gatherings, which in turn made it nearly impossible for a group of friends to hang out together on the street. It always started with little things, she thought ruefully, eyeing the desolate public spaces of Konoha. People still went out to have fun, be it at the park or a bar; it were the miscellaneous little nooks that lacked life nowadays. Hinata remembered old men playing shogi on the tables outside, bands of teenagers gathering at the promenade playing music and sharing laughter; she remembered the buzz of women's benign gossip and the boom of the firework blasts during festivals… Nowadays everything seemed duller and ill-natured. The elderly were embittered, youngsters scared, gossip has become vicious (she'd know, she experienced it firsthand), even festivities no longer felt like a holiday. How could they, when Danzou's Root was around every corner? Monitoring, overseeing, controlling – these seemed to be the motto of their new Hokage.

Hinata felt familiar anger make itself known in her mind. No longer having the mood for a walk, she turned and went straight back home. The new area she was passing through on her way felt more packed with its new buildings, constricting. Tall and looming over the streets, they were plain and identical, transforming once bustling neighbourhoods full of charm into dull residential areas. Fortunately, only a fraction of the village received such "renovations". Konoha simply had no need for new buildings, since they have pretty much rebuilt after the war, and the village had no money to turn this initiative into a large-scale reform. It was amazing how in a span of less than a year Konoha was able to rise back up, its citizens, both shinobi and civilian alike, combining forces to restore their home. Too bad they couldn't cooperate like that again when it came to other things…

In her frustration Hinata almost passed by a certain piece of "folk art" on the fence to her side. Tracing back a few steps, the Hyuga frowned when her suspicions turned out to be correct. There was yet another demeaning graffity of Kakashi. Lately more and more of those started popping up at random places. Konoha maintenance workers had their hands full with erasing or painting such things over. They seemed to only get rid of the ones that were about Danzou, though. Hinata could've sworn that the inscription on the alley fence involved Danzou and Kakashi together a day ago. Now, however, the insults were only about Kakashi, any mentions of Danzou have mysteriously disappeared. This was just a suspicion, but she was sure it was no coincidence. There was no point in erasing only a part of a graffity. Unless the workers were too lazy to finish their job, it was clear that they had no qualms about leaving untouched any insult directed at her husband.

She studied the offending image on the fence, anger filling her with every second she looked at it. There was no mistake, just yesterday she saw workers painting it over! It used to depict Danzou and Kakashi partaking in a certain sexual activity, with Danzou standing behind Kakashi who was on all fours. The fallic imagery was drawn with exaggeration, and now, with Danzou's body painted over, it only increased the focus on the more vulgar part of the picture. Offensive remarks underneath just added to the insult.

Despite the air temperature approaching negative values, Hinata felt herself boil with rage. A strong and quite unusual urge to punch someone or something suddenly washed over her. She very nearly came to destroying the fence itself, reminding herself at the last moment that it still was state property, and the money spent on reparing it could have been spent on something more useful. Instead, she looked around, hoping the damn workers left their paint after finishing their job of erasing Danzou and leaving Kakashi. Thankfully, there was a can of yellow paint stashed under a moldering plank just at the base of the fence. Arming herself with her discovery, she went to properly paint over the abomination that people called protest. Half-an-hour, and the angry red of the graffity was replaced with the calm yellow of a newly painted fence. Satisfied with her work, she put the paint back where she'd found it and proceeded to continue with her walk. And so help her if she sees anyone paint another graffity…

Deciding that training would be perfect to blow off her steam, she went straight to the backyard once she arrived home. Hinata wasn't surprised to find that her husband was already there, clearly having been training for some time already. He seemed to be practicing ninjutsu, standing there in the middle with an expression of extreme concentration. Sensing her, the man slightly inclined his head and murmured a greeting.

"Hey," she greeted in return. "You are early."

Kakashi just nodded, all focus back on whatever jutsu he was performing. She was about to begin her own routine, when she heard him speak.

"You smell weird," he told her, sniffing visibly to confirm his observation.

"You know just the right words when talking to a girl," she teased, chuckling. Honestly, even Sai should know by now that this kind of statement was a sure taboo.

"It's just normally your smell is different, so I couldn't help but ask if something happened."

Hinata wondered if this was how Kakashi was so good at discerning others' states of mood. Afterall, a person's smell changes when they feel some strong emotions, be it fear, anger or other forms of stress.

Kakashi didn't interrupt his jutsu, still attempting to converse while concentrating. At least he had the decency to look sheepish. Hinata decided to humor her husband.

"How do I normally smell?" she asked innocently.

Kakashi felt himself falling into a trap. He thought it wise to simply tell the truth this time.

"Pleasant," he answered. Simple and true.

Hinata just hummed in response, before asking another question.

"And how do I smell now? What is different?"

That was a question he knew the answer for.

"Like cheap paint." Easy reply. So far so good.

He watched his wife from the corner of his eye, and his answer seemed to disturb her. Didn't he tell her the truth? His initial assumption was that she helped someone paint their house or something of sorts. Hence the paint smell. However, seeing her reaction now made him doubt his assessment. Could it be that it was her new perfume? Like an aroma of the season or something equally fleeting, like most fashion trends were these days.

"You can smell it?" she asked, bewildered. "Even though I used it to paint a small wall for about twenty minutes?!"

"Why are you acting so surprised?" he countered, relieved that his initial guess was correct, and he didn't say anything offensive. "Your teammate, Kiba, I bet he could smell it too."

"Yeah, but he is Inuzuka."

"So what?"

That seemed to perplex her even further. She considered his words, there was no reason for him to not have a keen sense of smell, if you really thought about it. After all, it wasn't unique to Inuzukas only. After looking at it from that angle, Hinata recovered.

"Is there anything you are not good at?" she jokingly complained.

"Well, I am not good at talking to people."

"What's true is true."

"Aren't you supposed to comfort me instead of driving the dagger deeper?" he deadpanned.

"Are you supposed to tell a girl that she smells weird?" she quipped back with a smirk.

"It's true, though."

"Then it's good that we are both honest with each other." She smiled, "It's also good that we both can amend our issues."

"If you put it that way, then surely learning social interactions is harder than changing your smell?" He too felt like smiling. Although his banter with Hinata was not as aggressive as with Hanabi, it was equally enjoyable.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to help you," Hinata said, already feeling refreshed five minutes into her warm-up. "What are you doing anyway? You've been standing here with an intense look the whole time."

Kakashi sighed, finally breaking his concentration. "It's a new jutsu I am trying to develop. As you know, I no longer have the Sharingan," he started explaining, still feeling a little self-conscious. "Without it, performing Chidori or any of its variations, like the Lightning Blade, is extremely dangerous – I would simply move too fast for me to see things properly. It kind of causes a tunnel vision, so there is a risk of becoming vulnerable to a counterattack."

"I see. I also suppose that because you move so fast, you cannot maneuver it very well, making it even more dangerous," Hinata supplied.

It was as she said. His signature technique was now almost useless to him. When the Fourth Shinobi War ended, he hadn't given it much thought, but now he felt the absence of his strongest weapon keenly. During his missions, which were much safer and far in between, he still managed to struggle somewhat. He was so used to his Sharingan and his most reliable jutsu that he instinctively kept summoning it at the battlefield. Thankfully, his skill so far had allowed him to perform Chidori unscathed, but he knew that against more seasoned opponents there was no chance of him not to run into a counterattack.

Hinata must have sensed his gloomy mood. "You still can use it, right? You can immobilize your opponent and finish them off with your Lightning Blade," she suggested, attempting to cheer him up. Only after the words left her lips did she realize how stupid that sounded. What was the point of wasting such a powerful technique to do something that a kunai or any other offensive jutsu could accomplish just as effectively?

"That's true, I suppose." Kakashi looked down unenthusiastically. "Although it still diminishes the technique's use a lot," he replied, pretty much confirming her thoughts.

Hinata could clearly see that the loss of Sharingan and his signature technique was a sore spot for her husband. She could only imagine how it felt for him to give up on his Chidori: to lose something you worked so hard to invent and perfect; something you were once so proud of…

"Kakashi," she started, mustering her most convincing expression. "The Sharingan does not define you, nor does your Chidori. It never did. Even without them you are one of the best ninjas in our village. The fact that you are trying to overcome it by inventing a new jutsu is a proof of your character." She smiled, giving him an encouraging pat on a shoulder, "Besides, I'm sure that new jutsu of yours will be just as awesome."

She seemed to succeed in her efforts. Kakashi smiled, letting out a relieved chuckle and stopping his concentration once again to properly thank his wife.

"You are right. My Chidori had done its job in the past years. It's time for me to create something new," he said, determination filling his whole being.

"That's my Kakashi!" Hinata exclaimed happily. "Now, show me what you've got."

If Hinata knew what effect her words would make on her husband, she would've felt much less embarrassed for uttering them. Kakashi stood dumbstruck with a goofiest expression she had ever witnessed on his masked face. Seeing him like that made her slightly less self-conscious about making all the moves herself. Somebody had to, afterall, she reasoned. And it wasn't likely to be her husband, who wouldn't see a hint even if it hit him in the face.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was slowly returning to his usual operating mode.

"Right," he cleared his throat, beginning to explain the rationale behind his new jutsu.

After a short summary of his progress, which, admittedly was not much, Copy Nin sat himself comfortably to listen to any feedback from the Hyuga master.

"So, you are essentially combining two jutsus?" Hinata concluded, trying her best to understand all the advanced theory Kakashi had been dumping on her over the course of the past twenty minutes.

"Simply put, yes," her husband affirmed. "You see, the Chidori was actually my attempt to copy Minato-sensei's Rasengan. I tried to use the same methodology but adding lightning chakra instead of wind."

"And now you are trying to add an anti-sealing jutsu on top of that," she finished, starting to get where Kakashi was coming from. A jutsu that could be used offensively and also break seals would be extremely useful. "But isn't it pretty hard, layering one jutsu on top of another?"

"Precisely," Kakashi replied. "Which is why I am not doing that."

"Now I am confused," Hinata furrowed her dainty brows, which never failed to elicit a mushy feeling in Kakashi's head.

"How many people do you know who can seemingly effortlessly combine jutsu?" the Jounin asked by way of answering her confusion.

'_Hmm, maybe just one…_' she thought right before voicing her thoughts.

"Naruto" they both said in unison, Hinata giggling while Kakashi nodded approvingly.

"Naruto can make about a dozen different variations of Rasengan, with different chakra natures, different sizes and different ways of performing it. For him, it is pretty much intuitive, since he has so much chakra, but for an ordinary ninja it would be extremely hard."

"I see… So Naruto-kun can combine techniques because the loss of chakra that accompanies such a process is not significant for him," Hinata stated, looking at her husband for affirmation.

"Indeed," he nodded, impressed by her knowledge of the concept."Simply speaking, Naruto has so much chakra that he can allow himself not to care about the massive increase in the cost of such a combined jutsu compared to performing them individually."

"But how does that help your case?"

"Ah, this is where it gets interesting…"

And so Kakashi proceeded to give his wife another lecture on chakra theory and ninjutsu. He looked so passionate when telling her about Second, Third and Fourth Hokages' research that Hinata couldn't bring herself to interrupt him, even though she didn't know half the terminology that left his masked lips. He presented such a teacherly image that the woman found herself unwittingly losing focus, spellbound by the pleasant voice of her husband.

"… and in concordance with Tobirama Senju's postulate on the transformation of chakra during chakra manipulation, it would make sense! Especially because Minato-sensei's own inventions were heavily inspired by Lord Second's contributions, so my own technique which is not dissimilar to sensei's has significant advantages over the conventional method of layering one jutsu on top of another," Kakashi made a pause, noticing his wife's absent expression. "Sorry, I am boring you with all the rambling."

Hinata, who so far had been in a daze, immediately sprung to reassure her husband.

"No, not at all," she said, feeling her cheeks heat up. She couldn't just say that she couldn't pay attention because she was admiring him, could she? "I-I, uh, just trying to keep up. We never studied this topic in such depth at the Academy," she tried to improvise an excuse. Afterall, it was true; they never did study advanced ninjutsu.

"It's fine," Kakashi dismissed, "I know that this is not the most interesting stuff…"

"I think I understand your intentions overall," Hinata felt that she needed to add before Kakashi gets too upset. "And if I understand it correctly, you are trying to mimic the bloodline limit techniques."

"It is kind of like bloodline limits!" Kakashi exclaimed, eyes widening in realization. "Hinata, did I ever tell you that you are amazing?"

Said woman only blushed in response, muttering that he could stand doing it more often. She couldn't bring herself to repeat her words louder and more clearly when he asked, so she tried to return the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"I said that your idea is amazing," she replied instead. "It could revolutionize ninjutsu!"

It was Kakashi's turn to get embarrassed this time. "I wouldn't say 'revolutionize'…"

"What are you talking about? If what you are saying is true, then it might be possible to potentially seal a jutsu and use it in a one-off way. Even those who don't know the technique would be able to perform it!" Hinata argued, feeling immense pride for her husband. She could already imagine kids learning from books written by Kakashi Hatake. Oh, sweet dreams...

"Disposable jutsu? Come on, that's a dream," Kakashi replied, feeling uncharacteristically humble from Hinata's praise. "Anyway, your remark about bloodline limits sparked an idea as to why I failed to stabilize my technique."

Copy Nin was truly astonished at the overlook he'd been making up until this point. Had Hinata not told him about it, he might have never even considered such a possibility. Sometimes a second perspective was what one needed to progress, he thought smiling to himself.

"Alright, I'm ready to test it out," he said, turning to his wife with a grateful smile. "I'm sure you have your own practice, so I won't be taking your time any longer."

"Yeah, let's start training," Hinata agreed. "You'll show me your progress afterwards."

"You got a deal," Kakashi replied, returning to his creative process with renewed vigor.

They spent the rest of the time training in silence, each doing their own thing, until Hinata's eyes caught a bright flash before a booming sound of explosion broke out from behind. She turned towards where the sound came from, only to see Kakashi lying on the ground, coughing from the smoke. Worried, she immediately ran to his aid. It looked like his new jutsu backfired on him.

"Thanks," he croaked, standing up with her help and shaking off.

First thing Hinata did after asking if he was alright was to carefully inspect him. The sleeve on his right hand was tattered, with scorch marks on the edges of what little fabric that remained. Interestingly, the only part of his arm that received any damage was his hand. Even upon a brief glance she saw that it was burned.

"Give me your hands," she ordered. "What happened?"

"It was the jutsu," he replied flatly, confirming her suspicions. "As you can see, I failed." And just as he thought that he'd finally figured everything out. What was he missing?

Something told Hinata that Kakashi's frustration was more due to him failing the jutsu, and not nearly killing himself in the process. She couldn't help but make her exasperation show as she thought about how inconsiderate of his health her husband was sometimes.

She carefully peeled a ruined glove from his right hand. The burns on his hand were severe enough to warrant medical attention, with skin turning pale pink and small blisters forming on his palm.

"You should be more careful. What would you do if the explosion was stronger?" she admonished, leading him inside the house to get his injuries treated. "Is that how you created Chidori? By burning your hands with electricity until you figured out how to control it?"

"I admit that I had similar problems back then whith Chidori," he started carefully, hand habitually going to the back of his head, only to wince from a sharp shot of pain, "but still, Chidori came more naturally to me." He made sure not to touch anything with his burned hand from that point. If the pain hadn't stopped him from touching anything, then Hinata's stern look surely had.

Hinata ushered him inside a bathroom, running a tap for Kakashi to put his hands under.

"Put your hand under the water," she ordered after making sure the water was lukewarm. "I'm going to find something to cover it."

With those words she went on her search, leaving him to do as she bid. He didn't understand what all the fuss was about, it was just a little burn. He had worse wounds in the past. He stitched himself for crying out loud!

Hinata came in just as quickly as she left, cutting off his internal rant with an authoritative voice.

"Keep it under the water for some more time," she said, stopping his attempt to move his hand.

"It's just some second-degree superficial burns, no need to fret," he grumbled.

His statement seemed to stop Hinata in her tracks.

"How do you know?" she asked, not hiding her impressed tone.

Kakashi smiled, remembering his genin team getting amazed at his every action. It was somewhat even more pleasant to know that he could impress his wife so.

"I am an elite ninja; these kinds of things are a must to know."

"I have seen many so called 'elite ninjas' to not know a single thing about first aid," Hinata commented dryly. "It's as if they skipped even the academy lessons."

"Then they are fools," was his confident reply. "You cannot call yourself a good ninja if you can't treat your own wounds."

"Then you must know why your burns must be treated?" his wife challenged, carefully taking his injured hand with her smaller ones. "Superficial does not mean you can ignore it."

Her gentle touch clashed with the stern way she was talking. Perhaps it even contributed to his compliance. It was hard to resist reason _and _kindness.

"Alright, you win," he knew when to concede, "but I am not going to a hospital." Just as he knew when to press the bargain. There was no way he goes to a hospital, especially with Hinata, like some child brought by his mommy.

"Lucky for you," Hinata answered, rolling her eyes, "I happen to know medical jutsu."

She proceeded to prove it once again by healing his hand, a faint green glow emanating from her own palms. Kakashi watched with fascination as the blisters disappeared, the power of medical ninjutsu never ceasing to amaze him. He wondered who first had the idea to use chakra for healing, thinking that he himself would never come up with something like that when he set to create Chidori. No, all Kakashi cared about in his youth was to become stronger. The whole point of his invention of Chidori was to have a jutsu that could challenge his teacher's Rasengan.

"That's a very useful jutsu," he said as if he was seeing it for the first time, examining his healed hand and flexing it for good measure. The sting of the burn was still there, but it no longer felt like touching anything would bring a lot of pain.

"It is," Hinata agreed. "Doesn't mean you can go ahead and injure yourself again, though. You'll still need to give it some time to rest and heal completely. Your burns were serious enough despite what you say, and they still need to heal by themselves."

"I always wondered how does one feel when performing medical jutsu," Kakashi said absently and was surprised when Hinata responded.

"It feels like you are intruding, but at the same time you are completely welcomed," she said, before a sudden idea struck her. "Kakashi, I think I found a way for your jutsu to work!"

"Really?" Kakashi said, still absent, before his wife's words registered. "Wait, really?!"

Hinata nodded enthusiastically.

"There is this book in Konoha library… I can show you. I may not be an expert like Sakura, but I could at least give you pointers and explain the basics if need be."

"No need to sell yourself short. I've seen other medics perform Mystical Palm Technique, and you are as good, if not better than them. In fact, your chakra feels much gentler than an average medic's. I would be honored to learn from you."

Kakashi's praise was so thick Hinata couldn't help but feel it was undeserved. "Flattery won't save you from this," she said, lifting a box of cling film. As expected, her husband groaned like a petulant child.

"Must you do it?" he complained, watching her wrap the plastic film around his hand. The wrap was uncomfortable and made his hand feel too warm and sticky for his liking.

"That's to make sure you don't touch anything with your bare hand," she retorted.

"Just admit you are doing this to take revenge. We both know my hand is healed enough and doesn't need any further protection."

"Say any more and I will report your injury to Sakura," Hinata threatened, her voice reminding Kakashi of the way she talked to Hanabi when the brat messed something up. "I'm sure she'll find a more appropriate treatment option."

"Alright, alright," he saw no point in arguing. He'd take Hinata's revenge over Sakura's any day, no need to snitch. "I'll keep the wrapping." _For now._ "So, about that idea of yours..."

Hinata nodded again, beckoning for him to follow. Perhaps Kakashi wasn't as hopeless at looking after himself as she thought.

"Do you think I will be able to apply that idea of yours by tomorrow?"

'_Wait what?_' Hinata let out a sigh. Of course.

"I guess nothing would convince you to take more care in this sort of things. You can't expect to start doing this just after you got yourself burned," she scolded, gesturing to his injuries.

"I told you before, I'm special," Kakashi grinned. "Besides, I have already made some solid progress. I figured out all the theory, I think. With your help, I'm sure we'll create the best lightning jutsu yet."

Hinata noticed that somehow, they managed to already leave the house, her legs taking her outside for no reason, other than just continue to be in his company.

Thankfully, the library was nearly empty by the time the pair entered the building. The last thing Hinata wanted was to see people glaring at her husband or sending her sympathetic looks. Finding the exact row and shelf, Hinata located the book in question.

"Here," she said, putting the tome on the table and opening it. "Chapter 13: Physiology of Kekkei Genkai," she read aloud, "there is a small passage about bloodline limits that always got me curious."

With those words, she pointed on the part of the chapter that contained the relevant information.

Kakashi quickly skimmed the words, his eyes widening after each sentence he read.

"Hinata, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, re-reading the chapter, this time paying more attention to its contents.

"If you mean that the same principles could be applied to your situation, then yes," his wife nodded with a smile.

Kakashi was flabbergasted. Teamwork was once again saving his sorry hide, it seemed. Hinata, with her medical background was of huge help to him today. If he wasn't sure before, now he was certain that if not for her, then he probably would've been stuck in the theory stage for a very long time.

"_The Effect of Chakra Reserves Size on the Aptitude of Jutsu Learning: A Retrospective Observational Study_… _chakra transformation_… _elemental vs non-elemental as covariates_… _subgroup analysis_…" Kakashi read the words not fully believing how he had lucked out with such a resourceful wife. "It does not answer our question, but it is more than enough to get us started," he said, satisfied with Hinata's finding.

"I'm glad," was all his wife said, a content smile adornig her face.

"Hm, this book doesn't seem like your usual medical literature," Kakashi commented, flipping through the pages curiously.

"It's not," Hinata confirmed. "I just like reading stuff like that to expand my knowledge."

"I wonder who the author is."

With those words, Kakashi closed the manuscript, revealing the names of the authors. A single name was written right underneath the title. Despite the fading ink, it was clear who wrote the book.

"_Orochimaru_," Hinata gasped, "could it be…"

"It's him," Kakashi affirmed. Afterall, there were not many Orochimarus who had no last name and did scientific research. "Look what I found, in the contributions section," he pointed at the bottom part of the first page.

"_Tsunade Senju_."

Orochimaru and Tsunade were friends and teammates long ago. It would make sense that the scientist would receive help from the leading medic of the village. Deciding that they had enough revelations for today, the pair proceeded to rent the book and go home.

"Wow," Hinata was unable to hold her excitement once they left the facility, the book safely stored in her bag. "Isn't it so cool! I mean, this book is practically an artifact from the legendary Sannin!"

Kakashi chuckled, steam letting out from under his mask in the outside chill. Sometimes Copy Nin forgot that with all her maturity and maternal behavior, Hinata was still an eighteen-year-old girl who had the likes of Ino and Tenten as her batchmates. He couldn't help but pat her head affectionately.

Hinata, who did not want Kakashi to treat her like a child started to pout. Before she could voice her opinion, she felt his hand sliding down her head's side and tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The Hyuga froze at the unexpected action.

'_Didn't you want his attention to be more adult-like?_' echoed a traitorous voice in her head.

And now when he was actually doing it she was getting embarrassed? No way. Mustering all the courage she had, Hinata clasped his hand which had already began moving away and returned it back to her cheek. The warmth she felt right after was not just from Kakashi's gloved hand on her skin.

Copy Ninja himself was surprised at his wife's actions. However, it did not register in his pragmatic mind that her intentions were a little more than an attempt to warm herself. He put his second hand on her other cheek, rubbing her face gently.

Just when Hinata started leaning into the touch she felt him remove his hands.

"Are you warm now?" he asked, tightening the scarf around her neck. "Why don't you wear your gloves?"

"Really?" she asked sarcastically, disbelief at her dense husband practically seeping through her voice. She didn't get to ponder on her cruel fate as a flurry of white flakes started to fall around them. "Oh, look! It's snowing."

"Really." Kakashi followed her gaze, indeed it was beginning to snow. "And you are right, it is snowing. So you better put those gloves on."

Hinata sent him a mock glare before following his advice. She'll get through to that thick skull of her husband's later.

"Come on, we are already outside. Let's have a little detour on our way home," she urged instead. "You can tell me everything about your ideas on that jutsu of yours."

Hinata pulled him ahead, suddenly playful with the change in weather.

"Alright," he chuckled, "just let me put my scarf on and we can go."

They donned their winter clothes and left the library premises, going for a walk. Hinata never saw Kakashi wear anything apart from his uniform, but this time he sported a warm jacket, with a khaki colored scarf completing the ensemble. He looked so different in casual clothes, almost more relaxed. More approachable. He seemed to notice her staring at him, and she felt her face heat up for being caught.

"I've never seen you wear anything other than your uniform," she said, attempting to explain herself.

"I used to wear this scarf every day when I was a kid." He touched the aged fabric of his scarf. "Now I just take it when it's particularly cold, like today."

Of course, he would be the type to keep things forever until they could no longer be used. The scarf was battered, its color fading and the seams coming out of the edges. She even spotted a hole in it! Hinata took a mental note to buy him a new scarf.

"Does this scarf… have a special meaning to you?" she asked, trying to gauge if he'd be okay with wearing another.

"Not really," was his nonchalant reply. "It just seemed as a waste not to use a perfectly good scarf."

'_Perfectly good, my foot_,' the Hyuga woman thought. Even a homeless person would have a better scarf. Maybe she should buy him a scarf that he will surely hate, just to teach him a lesson. She'd make sure to throw his own words at him, that it would be a waste not to use a perfectly good scarf. Yes, she smiled devilishly, she could gift him something outrageous! A ridiculous color, perhaps, like pink, or maybe purple.

"Purple," she muttered, suddenly remembering their training this afternoon.

"What?"

"I just remembered," she turned to Kakashi, who still tried to figure out why his wife had a scary smile one moment and a look of revelation another. It frightened him a little if he were being honest. "When you exploded your jutsu, I saw a flash of light, and I think it had some purple in it."

"You saw it too? I thought maybe it was the flash from explosion affecting my eyes."

Hinata shook her head.

"No, I'm sure I saw purple."

Kakashi stopped suddenly, covering his face with his healthy palm. A small chuckle left his lips, followed by more humorless laughter. Hinata watched him, confused with his weird behavior. Well, more weird than usual.

"Purple," he repeated, a rueful smile still on his face behind the mask. "Of all colors, my new signature jutsu is going to be purple."

And then it hit her.

"You know, you can stop laughing already," she heard Kakashi grumble after a few minutes of her ceaseless cackle.

"I'm sor-sorry," she managed to squeeze out, before another fit of laughter took control of her. "It's-it's just– Imagine yourself"–she panted, clutching her stomach–"imagine yourself, with a purple scarf, silver hair, and… shooting purple lightning from your hands!"

"Purple scarf?" Kakashi was no less confused. '_Where did that come from?_'

"And-and," apparently, his wife was not done laughing at his expense, "your name would be Kakashi the Purple Scarf of Lightning! And enemies all around the Elemental Nations will be petrified with fear at the mere sight of your purple scarf!"

With those words she went on to an uncontrollable bout of giggles. It wasn't that funny, but the image of a stylish looking Kakashi, with a purple scarf and a pompous attitude was just too absurd. Coupled with his initial reaction upon learning that his jutsu was going to be purple, it was too much for the Hyuga.

"Alright, that's enough," he said with mock sternness. "Your talent for naming could rival my sensei, by the way." What kind of nickname was 'Purple Scarf of Lightning' anyway? Now he was really scared for poor Furuto, because chances are, it would actually be the boy's name.

Hinata seemed to finally calm down. Short winded from all the laughing, she stopped walking to allow some time to recover. An occasional chuckle still escaped her lips, though.

"So," she started when they resumed their walk, "any reason why it is purple?"

Kakashi thought for a moment. He couldn't come up with any concrete explanation, so he went with his theory. He'd been thinking on it and this hypothesis formulated in his mind.

"I think the lightning chakra release takes form of a lightning," he started.

"Obviously." Hinata couldn't help the sarcastic comment. She was surprised at how playful and bold she could be when she was with Kakashi.

"And in doing that, it also takes the color of lightning," he finished, ignoring his wife's teasing remark. Honestly, what was with Hyuga and snow? They always seemed more liberal when it snowed. At least the ones he knew, which he admitted, weren't many.

"This makes sense," Hinata agreed. "Although I have never seen purple lightning in person…"

"It does happen," Kakashi assured. "I don't know why, but it does happen. I suspect the air must be different for it to appear."

"Does that mean that your new jutsu will have other new properties, aside from the ones that you already want?"

Hinata's question made Kakashi wonder. The only times he saw purple lightning was when it was about to rain heavily. Could it mean that he would be able to summon rain if he releases a lightning strong enough? If yes, then an ability like that could come in handy one day. He pondered on it for what felt like a very long time, because when he finally took notice of his surroundings, everything was completely covered in snow.

Hinata ran forward, spinning gently, trying to capture everything around.

"Beautiful, isn't it," he heard his wife blissfully exhale after stopping a few meters ahead of him.

Her lone figure stood in the middle of a street, watching the surroundings with glee. The snow whirled around her form, white snowflakes landing on the dark blue of her hair. Eyes gleaming with warmth and a content smile adorning her face, she truly looked a vision. Kakashi simply nodded in agreement, feeling a lump form in his throat.

"Hanabi would've loved it," he heard her say.

"You talk as if she never saw snow," he noted, forcefully willing himself back from the dreamlike state Hinata put him under, lest they never get home.

"As long as I remember, we were never allowed to play outside when it snowed," she whispered, sadness contorting her delicate features. "Or rained. It is just not becoming of a Hyuga to wallow in snow and dirt," her voice took a bitter tone, before she sighed again. "I think she would be studying now, so she won't have time to go outside anyway."

Damn Hyuga and their conceited sense of superiority. Even a robot like Kakashi had a pleasure to play around with snow and splash in a puddle when he was a kid. His own father joining in sometimes, both building snowmen and playing snowballs. Where was Hanabi's feisty spirit? Why didn't she just disobey the damn elders and sneak outside to have fun sometimes?!

"You know what," he said, an idea coming to his mind. "It looks like it's going to snow for quite some time. Why don't we go and fetch Hanabi-chan?" They still had a good two hours until it starts to get dark, so why not bring the brat along to have some fun?

This time it was Kakashi who was pulling Hinata ahead, and she had no problem with it. Her husband's scarf fluttered behind his back as they ran in the direction of the Hyuga clan. They were going to take Hanabi outside. For that she was willing to be led anywhere. And if it's Kakashi who is leading her, well then she'd follow him to the ends of the earth.

Not long and they reached the Hyuga clan residence. Passing through the gates with no trouble (after the Hageshi incident Hyugas have warmed up to Kakashi somewhat), they advanced towards the main wing, where Hanabi would be having her lessons. Technically, she doesn't finish till 5 o'clock, but Kakashi assured Hinata that he'd be able to excuse her early. The pair entered the building, greeting everyone on their way before finally reaching their desination.

Kakashi was prepared for anything before he opened the doors to that room. Thus, he wasn't in the least bit fazed when they were met with Hiashi Hyuga's surprised stare behind the door. Apparently, the father did take some part in his daughter's upbringing, for there was Hanabi, and it looked like they were in the middle of a lesson.

"Good afternoon, Hiashi-sama," quickly bowed Kakashi, before the situation could get awkward.

Hiashi nodded by way of greeting, "It is a… surprise to see you, Kakashi-sama. I see you brought Hinata with you."

"Yes…" was his only reply.

Smalltalk was never Kakashi's forte; before he recovered and continued with what they came here for, Hinata had gotten ahead of him.

"Hello, father," she spoke with a polite smile, "we were wondering if you'd allow us to take Hanabi for a walk."

That seemed to surprise the Hyuga patriarch even more, since he looked between his two daughters and Kakashi questioningly, as if asking _'Really?_'. Hanabi was even more startled, she stopped her calligraphy practice and now listened to their conversation.

"It is as my dear lady wife, says," Kakashi spoke, clearing his throat. "We simply wanted to visit and take Hanabi-chan outside while we are at it. The decision was completely spontaneous."

"I see…" was Hiashi's reply, before he stood up from the desk. For a second, Kakashi thought that he will not be saying any further, but the man spoke again. "Your help in our clan matters is greatly appreciated, Kakashi-sama. Hanabi, you may collect your things and accompany your sister and good-brother."

Hanabi, to her credit, had quickly finished with tidying her desk and stood ready to go; the excitement on her face was clear to anyone present in the room.

"Do not forget to finish your assignment," Hiashi said by way of dismissal.

His daughter eagerly nodded, almost running to her big sister to give her a hug. She was about to leave for her room to dump the books and wear something suitable for the weather outside when she heard Kakashi's stern voice.

"Hey, brat, where is my greeting?" After he received his lackluster greeting, she finally tried to leave, but Kakashi once again stopped her, taking her by the collar, "And don't forget to say goodnight to your father."

Hiashi watched in bewilderment as his daughter casually wished him goodnight and ran away, before her brother-in-law could stop her again. Although the man was no longer planning to do it. Kakashi just bowed again, this time a little deeper, and excused himself.

"You husband… is a strange man," Hiashi said to the only daughter left present in the room.

"He is unpredictable," Hinata agreed, a smile creeping up on her lips.

"It was good to see you, Hinata."

Hinata was a little surprised to hear those words from her father, but with all the weirdness today she was more prepared. "It was nice to see you too, father," she said, before giving him a bow and leaving as well.

By the time Hinata arrived at the gate, her sister and Kakashi were already there. She looked Hanabi over and deeming her outfit insufficient for the temperature outside, she told her off. Hanabi, of course, was no less stubborn.

"It's fine, neechan," she whinged, obviously not wanting to lose any more time going back and changing. "Let's go!"

With those words, the girl sprinted straight ahead through the gates. Hinata was annoyed by her sister's unruly behavior, but let it slide. Kakashi chuckled beside her.

"I told her to at least wear a hat, but…"

"Whatever. Let her have it her way, if she freezes out here or gets cold it will be a lesson," Hinata huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You can be scary sometimes, you know that?" Kakashi pointed. On the other note, "We should go after the brat, before she gets lost."

The pair went towards the direction their charge ran off to. They soon found Hanabi, she was waiting for them at the entrance to the local park.

"Took you long enough," she told them.

They still had a couple hours before Sakura comes over for a visit, Hinata noted, entering the park with Kakashi and Hanabi. She looked around; the fresh snow seemed to rejuvenate the place, bringing the seemingly forgotten joy to the streets of Konoha. There were many people outside, playing and having fun with the snow. She could see snow sculptures everywhere, small and big, proudly adorning the white expanse of the park.

"So, what do you want to do, Hanabi-chan," asked Kakashi.

Said girl was looking wistfully at other people's snowmen.

"Dunno," she said, kicking the snow. "Whatever, I guess. Going out seemed nice enough."

Hinata smirked. It was obvious that Hanabi wanted to build a snowman but was embarrassed to say it.

"Well, how about we build a snowman, then? If you don't mind," she then leaned to Hanabi, whispering conspiratorily, "Kakashi wanted to build one, but he told me not to tell anyone."

"Yeah, I don't care. Let's do a snowman or whatever."

Kakashi smirked under his mask. The girl's contrasting behavior was so amusing sometimes.

With that, they each went to build a snowman. Of course, with Kakashi and Hanabi, it quickly turned into a competition on whose snowman will be better. Kakashi, due to having his one hand burned, had to work at a disadvantage. One would think that when you have only one hand, you'd better do something easy, but not Kakashi. He went for a complicated sculpture of Pakkun, one of his ninja hounds. Needless to say, he failed miserably; Hinata hoped that today he learned that lifting a snowball bigger than his body with only one hand is not a good idea.

"Looks like I won, loser!" Hanabi taunted, standing beside an impressive snowy replica of the Hokage Tower. The girl certainly didn't hold back on gloating.

"If I had both of my hands, I'd shown you," he said, standing up and shaking off all the snow.

"Yeah, yeah, losers always have an excuse ready," she said smugly, making Hinata giggle. "Even neesan's snowman is better than yours."

'_Wait what?_' Hinata looked at her sister outragedly, a mock expression of betrayal on her face. "What do you mean, 'even neesan's'?"

"Not so funny now, heh?" Kakashi commented, causing his wife to send a glare at him. "But I have to disagree, I think my sculpture is still better than Hinata's."

"No way!" Hanabi exclaimed, pointing at a headless monstrosity that Kakashi called a pug. "Look at yours, it's not even finished!"

"Yeah, but look at hers," he pointed at Hinata's snowman. "It's small and so unrefined."

"When you point it out like that, I guess it is hard to determine a second place," Hanabi agreed thoughtfully, stroking her chin like an expert evaluating a piece of artwork.

"Excuse me!" Hinata was beyond provoked. How dare they team up on her! Kakashi, the bastard, he was just trying to weasel his way to the second place! "At least my snowman is complete! And does it matter if Kakashi's is better than mine or not? It's not like I was competing with you guys."

"Hinata is right," Kakashi unexpectedly provided, surprising her. Normally he would never settle for a last place. "It doesn't matter who is first and who is last," he said sagely, before quickly adding, "so mine is a second place."

Hinata should've seen it. Before anyone could protest, he shamelessly attempted to change the topic, asking about what they should do now. An idea came to Hinata then.

"How about we play snowball?" she suggested, innocently enough.

After receiving everyone's agreement, she turned to Hanabi, "Hanabi-chan, how about we show him how it's done?" she said, gesturing towards Kakashi, who seemed to only just realize the severity of his situation.

"Sure, sis." Hanabi smirked, getting the clue. The brat was all too happy to gang up on him.

Before he could even formulate the plan of retreat, he was bombarded with snowballs from both directions. With nowhere to run, he fought back fiercely, but he was at a huge disadvantage; not only did he have to fight on two fronts, but he only could use one hand to do it! Needless to say, he was quickly overwhelmed and had to cut loose.

A half hour later, they all were heading back to the Hyuga clan. Wet from snow and sweat, they nonetheless looked happy. Hanabi chatted excitedly with Hinata, the girl's energy seemingly limitless. It was getting dark, and the air became colder. Kakashi could hear Hanabi's teeth start chattering. He looked at his wife, she also seemed to notice.

"I told you to wear something warm," Hinata admonished softly, exasperated.

"I'm not cold," the girl stubbornly protested.

"I can hear you shake."

Hinata's voice was deadpan. Kakashi mentally winced, imagining the unimpressed look his wife was giving her sister right then. Taking pity on Hanabi, he pulled off his scarf and handed it to the brat.

"Here," he said. He was ready to argue but to his surprise the girl took the proffered cloth without a sound.

"Thanks," she muttered, wrapping his scarf neatly around her neck.

The rest of the journey Hanabi spent in silence. Kakashi, however, found himself having a conversation with Hinata. He didn't even notice when they reached their destination.

"It was nice of you to give up your scarf," Hinata quietly said, thinking in her head that it was a perfect excuse for her to give him a new one.

"Oh, come on!" they heard Hanabi groan. "Will you two stop flirting with each other? In case you didn't notice, we came home."

"Wh– I'm not–" Hinata stammered, "Where did you even learn such words?"

"Oh, please," her younger sister replied. "I'm not a kid," as if saying that out loud changed the fact that she actually was one. "Anyway, it's just a stinky scarf," she huffed, getting flustered herself.

"Hey," protested Kakashi, "This scarf was around when you were not even in your parents' plans! This is a relic!"

"An old, stinky scarf then," Hanabi replied flatly. "Whatever, I'm going back home. See you guys later."

They waved her back, wondering at her swift departure. As soon as she disappeared from their view, they promptly headed to their own home, wishing to get away from the singeing cold as fast as possible.

"You know," Hinata commented, "She never did give you your scarf back."

With all her talk, Hanabi didn't seem to mind wearing Kakashi's scarf. It wasn't like her sister, and Hinata hoped this meant that Hanabi was warming up to her good-brother.

Kakashi just hummed in response, as if agreeing with her thoughts.

Hinata remembered that in all the spontaneity that happened today, she never told Kakashi that Sakura was coming over to visit. Their quiet trek back home was a perfect opportunity to remedy that.

Eventually, they reached their house and already were dry and changed their clothes by the time the pink-haired kunoichi arrived. Exchanging pleasantries, all three of them sat for dinner.

"So, how have you been, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura inquired, putting her hand under her chin and leaning upon the table.

"Maa, I'm fine. I am more interested about you, Sakura-chan."

And just like that, he dodged almost every personal question that had occasionally popped up during their conversation. Of course, it might have been due to the fact that most of those personal questions were about his and Hinata's relationship… Instead, he asked a lot. Hinata was a good observer; she noticed the way Kakashi asked questions, always making sure that they couldn't be answered with a smiple "yes" or "no". Usually, he expertly wove a conversation to get what he wanted while at the same time giving enough to satisfy his companion, but never anything useful. With Sakura, however, he was more open, and while still resisting to talk about himself, he was generous with supporting the conversation, something he normally never did with others. Even with Hinata, he was seldom to start a conversation himself, opting to listen and supply answers, albeit comprehensive.

'_This must be what it is for him when he is completely at ease_,' she thought, wistfully. Would he ever be as comfortable with her as he is around Sakura?

Suddenly, the atmosphere completely changed. Hinata was pulled back from her heavy thoughts, only to find herself in an even more distressing environment.

"I don't sense anyone," Kakashi said, almost whispered.

"Me neither," Sakura nodded.

Realizing what conversation was about to unfold, Hinata forgot all about her petty woes and activated the Byakugan, quickly scanning the perimeter around the house – nothing.

Getting an affirmative nod from Hinata, Kakashi gestured to his study, "It's got high level protective seals," he explained.

Once inside the study, he locked the door and signed everyone to take a sit. Hinata brimmed with excitement – finally she will be involved in the active fight. She knew that it was selfish of her to get excited over it, like it was some field trip, but she couldn't help but feel glad that they deemed her trustworthy and capable enough to be included in their plans.

An hour into their discussion, and Hinata could already see the grasp of Kakashi's plans. He frequently used his ninken, disguised as stray dogs to spy on key people in Konoha; maintained contact with Tsunade herself, who was currently on the run; kept in touch with Sasuke, who was actually alive; and monitored Naruto in prison. Apart from the three of them, Yamato, Gai and Sai were also involved. This made a lot of sense in retrospect, as there was always something off about Sai's behavior whenever Kakashi was discussed. Almost like he tried too hard to cover up his knowledge.

Hinata tiredly slumped into her chair with a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples.

"Too much?" asked Sakura, understandingly. "I told you that dumping everything at once like that is a bad idea!" she turned to scold Kakashi, who was furiously apologizing. Hinata smirked, '_Some things never change_'.

"It's all just so sudden," she said, "I need some time to digest this."

"This is only the tip of the iceberg," Kakashi said seriously. "If you'd like, I will tell you more."

Hinata looked at him questioningly. She had so many questions, but she knew the most important one at the moment. All the others can wait until later, when she'd sorted out the things she learned today. She appreciated that Kakashi trusted her with complete information though. Perhaps the gap between them was not as wide as she'd imagined.

"If it is as you say, then why didn't you tell the others? Shikamaru is making his own plans, they have a resistance…" Hinata asked instead the question that had been plaguing her mind ever since she learned that Kakashi was on their side. The fact that it was actually him who sent the warning letter to the Nara only made the question more valid in her head.

It seemed like a question he'd already received before, as Sakura too directed questioning look at her sensei.

"There are several reasons…"

"Like?" Hinata demanded gently, trying to understand her husband's motives.

"Well, first of all," he started, after a momentary pause, "by not involving each other we ensure that if one of us fails, another would still be safe to operate; if Shikamaru's resistance were to be exposed and eliminated, Danzou would likely lower his guard, thinking that he won, when in actuality he only defeated one opponent out of two." Before Hinata could protest, he swiftly continued, "Also, the fewer people know the lower are chances to get caught and consequently, the higher are chances to succeed." He then looked sheepishly at the floor, "The second reason is that… Forgive me but I do not trust all of your friends completely."

The implication that he didn't tell them because he thought they'd screw up left hanging unsaid. If Hinata were to think about it, he had a reason to be cautious, with Tenten's recent outburst at the trial and their group's emotional investment in the cause. She could see how an experienced and cool-headed veteran like Kakashi was having trouble trusting a bunch of kids.

But they were not some impulsive kids, Hinata argued. They were shinobi, they went through war and were heads of their clans. Shikamaru was one of the smartest and most level-headed people she knew, and she had no doubt that Kakashi could trust his judgement.

"I can see where you are coming from," she reasoned, "but don't you think that Shikamaru at least needs to know?"

Judging by the expression on Sakura's face, her friend agreed with her.

"We had this conversation with Sakura before…" Kakashi clasped his hands, placing his chin on them and taking a moment to re-evaluate. Shikamaru was a great asset during the war, and Kakashi could see him filling in his father's position both as a clan head and Jounin Commander sometime in near future. If Sakura and Hinata said so, then…

"Let's do it," he finally said, looking at both women and noting an identical expression of hope mirrored in both of their eyes. "I trust your judgement, Sakura, Hinata," he smiled.

"Oh, so when Hinata says so you readily agree," Sakura playfully complained, glad that her sensei finally saw reason.

"I guess I just needed a third person's perspective," Kakashi justified sheepishly, remembering how trusting his wife earlier this day made everything easier.

"It's okay," Hinata interjected, secretly happy that Kakashi changed his mind only after Hinata spoke to him. "We all make mistakes, and Kakashi might have been right."

"If you are going to be so pessimistic, he will change his mind," Sakura rolled her eyes. "The way I see it: We need help, and Shikamaru is both trustworthy and able to help. So why the hell did we drag it for so long?!"

It was in moments like these that Sakura reminded Hinata of Tsunade-sama; the same no-nonsense approach and resolution in every gesture. No wonder she so seamlessly managed to take over the hospital, staff there probably didn't even notice Tsunade's absence.

"It's settled then," Kakashi put an end to their meeting. "I'll let you guys know when to inform Shikamaru of our true intentions. I would ask you to keep quiet until then."

Sakura looked like she was about to protest, but Hinata got ahead of her by speaking first.

"We trust your judgement," she said, repeating his words. She exchanged a playful glance with Sakura, who smiled and nodded in agreement.

After Sakura left, Hinata managed to convince Kakashi to go straight to bed.

This day had been a whirlwind of events, and both of them immediately went to sleep, a feeling of well-deserved exhaustion accompanying their last thoughts as their heads touched the pillow.

* * *

**Here is the new chapter. I know, I know, too much fluff. I'm sorry, okay?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

The week passed by quickly for Hinata. That little meeting with Kakashi and Sakura had boosted her determination and she was all fired up for action. Since then she'd met with Shikamaru and others, to discuss their plans for the upcoming year. Their resistance had grown more competent over the last year from a band of ex-classmates to a full-fledged movement with a number of powerful clans as their core members. They didn't have any sign to identify themselves; no fancy capes like those of the Akatsuki, no oath or initiation ceremonies – just a common goal and a simple hierarchy. Shikamaru was a good leader and a great strategist, so nobody doubted his decisions. He told them during the last meeting that he was planning something big, just to warn everyone and make sure they would be available to carry it out when the day comes. Everyone was officially dismissed until the New Year, so Hinata waited with anticipation.

Until that day, she could only train, and train she did. She worked harder than ever for the last few months. Kakashi sure was a great help in keeping her in shape. Seeing him train diligently every day for hours on end pushed Hinata to work harder on herself. And it wasn't only her who was affected by the silver-haired man's influence – Hanabi was making great progress too. The sight of her sister bragging about every new thing she learned under her husband's tutelage has never failed to make Hinata smile. Hanabi truly was improving by leaps and bounds since meeting Kakashi.

Motivated by her thoughts, Hinata went ahead to secure the training grounds. It was Friday, unlikely that training grounds would be busy, but she decided to go there early just in case.

It was a nice afternoon, even with all the residual snow it was warm outside. Having secured training space, Hinata awaited her companions. Kakashi and Hanabi would be coming anytime now. Apparently, her sister's progress was so impressive, that Father agreed to release her early on this Friday. True enough, Hinata saw a pair of them appear from around the corner. As usual, they seemed to be busy with annoying each other. Once they noticed her, Hanabi customarily went to hug her in greeting.

"It's time we start our training, Hanabi-chan," Kakashi said as soon as they were done with pleasantries, which, considering the two sisters, often tended to drag longer than necessary.

He summoned his ninken, eliciting another wave of cheerful greetings, with dogs saluting the girls this time. Kakashi sighed, resigned to wait until all eight of them got their pats and belly rubs.

"Now," Kakashi started again, sending a glare at his canine companions for their delay, "now we can begin."

He proceeded to explain the purpose of their training: Hanabi will be leading a team to carry out a simple task – defending the objective against the enemy. In her case her team was just three of Kakashi's clones, while the enemy would be played by the ninken.

"What of the objective?" Hanabi asked.

In response, Kakashi dug into his pouch, fishing a small worn out book. He tossed the book to the girl.

"You'll be protecting crucial intel," he said nonchalantly. "Keep it on you, hide it – the choice is yours."

"Are you serious?" young Hyuga asked looking at the book's familiar orange cover with disdain.

"Come on," the masked man nudged, "this book will win you the war. You should protect it with all you've got. Try to hold out for as long as possible."

With those words he summoned the clones. "Your team will consist of two genin and one chunin level shinobi," he said, handing each clone a colored headband with their designated ninja rank written on it. "Call them by their code names, which are the color of their headband."

"Got it," Hanabi replied, excited to lead a team of her own. Back home she was never given a practical task like that. It was always the boring stuff in her clan.

"Oh, one more thing," Kakashi called out. "The color of their headband also determines their abilities. Blue here," he gestured towards his "chunin" clone with a blue headband, "he is the most proficient at hand-to-hand combat, and knows several ninjutsu of water nature; Red can use fire techniques and Brown can do earth," he smiled. "You have twenty minutes to set up your base of operation and formulate all necessary plans. Any questions?"

Hanabi smirked, looking at her 'team'.

"I gotta admit, this is a pretty cool idea."

With those words, she signaled her team to move out.

"By the way, guys," she said to her teammates while they were going away, "what kind of jutsu can you perform?"

Once they left, Kakashi turned to his ninken. "Twenty minutes," he repeated, instructing them to do whatever it took to get the book.

"You know, Hanabi is right, your idea is amazing," Hinata told him, after the ninken left.

There was this weird gleam in her eyes again. Kakashi had trouble trying to decipher that particular expression of hers. Merry, but not quite happy; playful, but not really teasing. Till this day the nature of that look was an enigma to the masked jounin.

"Thanks," he made sure to reply. "The beauty of clones is that all their experiences are transferred back to the original when they disappear."

"So you'll be able to evaluate Hanabi's performance," his wife said.

Kakashi smiled.

"Exactly."

With no further talk, the two began training of their own. As per usual, Kakashi went directly to his new jutsu after his regular routine.

"Aren't you going to train something else," Hinata asked. "You've been doing your Purple Lightning for a whole week."

Sometimes Kakashi even had Yamato over to help with training. Together with the Wood Style expert they figured out the seal-breaking part of Kakashi's jutsu. Alas, the lightning part still escaped the Jounin Commander somewhat. Today Kakashi hoped to remedy that, and after he is done he would of course move on to other things.

"I will," he responded, concentrating. "I just feel like I'm going to make it by the end of the week. I'm so close…" he trailed off, absorbed with his jutsu.

Shrugging, she went to her own practice. An hour and a half of rigorous workout later, she decided to practice a jutsu of her own.

'_Gentle Fist is a technique that demands perfection_,' Hinata recalled her father's teachings, '_as is anything done by a Hyuga_.' Never did Hinata take those words seriously until recently.

Despite her achieving a satisfactory level with the family technique, there was a special jutsu that she hadn't fully mastered yet. The Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists was a secret technique taught only to the main branch of the Hyuga clan. It greatly increases the user's range and the technique itself possesses considerable destructive power. Additionally, it drains the chakra network of the enemy upon each attack – a perfect jutsu for a prolonged fight.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata activated her Byakugan. Concentrating, she began to expel chakra from her hands until it became physically visible. Gradually, the chakra on each hand took a form of a lion's head. Hands ablaze with chakra, she launched forward and hit the nearest dummy, obliterating it on the spot. Satisfied with the result, she proceeded further, throwing punches, kicking and practicing defensive moves, until she could continue no more. The purpose of such an activity was to get comfortable with the technique, so that it feels like second nature in real battle.

'_Barely twenty minutes_,' she noted once she started to feel the strain of chakra depletion on her body, displeased. She could maintain the technique for twenty minutes without any chakra absorption from the enemy. Normally, when fighting an opponent, she could keep up the jutsu, as it stole their chakra every time she attacked, no matter if they blocked the punch or not. '_But what if they just dodge?_' she told herself, remembering her fight with Pain. The Akatsuki leader had been evading her attacks until she wasted all her powers. This was not enough, she concluded. If she wanted to keep up with the enemy, she still had a long way to go.

Panting from exhaustion, she took a break. No point in trying to perform that jutsu now, it would only result in failure from that point. Instead, she perched down on a lone stump nearby. With her Byakugan still on, she took her time observing Kakashi. If she had nothing better to do, then she would make sure to help her husband in his training, at least.

He was still doing his jutsu, if his stance and gradual increase in chakra release from his body were any indication. It was also apparent that he witnessed her technique, for he was looking at her with something akin to amazement.

"That was a very impressive jutsu," she heard him say, which made her a little too proud of herself.

Despite getting flustered, she also always felt strangely warm from his honest compliments. Even the simplest, flattest statements sounded most pleasing when coming from his person. Perhaps it was because he was so stingy on them, but it always made her smile abashedly when he praised her.

"Thanks," she said. "I'm far from mastering it, though."

"How come? It looked pretty complete to me," he retorted, concentrating on his own jutsu.

Hinata smiled, rueful. The smile became warmer when she saw the chakra emanating from Kakashi's hands turn purple. He was really doing it. After only a week he was already at the final stages of his invention of a new technique!

"Even though I can perform it without much struggle, it is hard for me to maintain it for long," she sighed, answering to Kakashi's previous question. "What's the point of a powerful jutsu if you can't even use it in a fight?"

"That's it?" she heard his strained laugh amidst the hum of electricity his chakra took form of. Evidently, the jutsu seemed to take a lot from his concentration at this stage.

"What do you mean 'That's it?'. I'm not joking, Kakashi," she said, indignation in her tone giving way to awe at his impressive display. The lightning was such a vibrant shade of purple.

"Well," he wheezed out, suddenly stopping his jutsu to join her in her break, "in that case, all you have to do is practice, isn't it?"

Hinata chuckled. As always, he was right. Really, how silly of her to get worked up over something so simple.

Kakashi looked as tired as her, if not more. She had to remember that he also maintained his clones while doing his training. As a result, he was sweating buckets and panting heavily as if after completing one of Gai's challenges. It was no surprise that he looked ready to collapse.

"Here," she told him, handing him a bottle of water. He gratefully took it, taking a large gulp and plopping himself beside her on the grass.

"That jutsu," he started out of nowhere, "can you use it as a ranged attack?"

"You mean can I send the lions flying at the enemy?" she replied. "I don't know. They never told me that it can be used in that way, and I guess I never tried." She then looked at her husband's thoughtful expression, "Don't tell me you want to test it out!" His smirk was enough of an answer. "Not everyone is a genius to modify jutsu on a whim, Kakashi."

"You don't need to be a genius to modify a jutsu, or even to create one," he argued. "All you need is a method and some work."

"Yeah, but don't forget that some for you means a lifetime for an average person," she grumbled. '_Like me_,' was left unsaid.

Kakashi then looked at her, a stern expression on his face appeared so suddenly, it almost made her jump from surprise. "Why do you always put yourself down so?" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata, you are very capable and most definitely not average," he said with utmost conviction. The smile he gave her was just as assured.

She wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that he was wrong. How could she be strong, she wanted to say, if she was so obviously weak. She couldn't protect Naruto when Pain had almost killed him, not even being able to land a single hit! She couldn't fight Hanabi, couldn't fight and win, so that her sister won't have to bear the weight of being a clan heiress. She wanted to say it all, but at the same time she didn't want him to see just how pathetic she was. Although that seemed hardly necessary, as with a single look at his eyes and she had a feeling he understood. She didn't need to tell him anything, because somehow, he knew what she was thinking of. Hinata felt tears prickle her eyes. Happiness and relief mixed with sorrow and disappointment, she didn't know whether to believe her husband's encouragements or not.

"Believe in yourself," she heard him say, as if he was reading her thoughts.

She couldn't hold it any longer and the tears finally started to come down.

Kakashi stood awkwardly beside his crying wife. It was no breakdown, just a few tears of release. Even so, it felt like he was supposed to do something. He raked his brain, trying to remember how Minato-sensei used to comfort Kushina-sama when she felt sad. He knew what he had to do, but he couldn't move himself to do it. Willing his arm to move, he put what he hoped was a comforting hand on the woman's back. He could barely open his mouth to say anything, when he felt her arms circle him, her body pressed tightly against his in a hug. A moment later, and it was over. The action was so fast that he couldn't even respond.

"Thank you," he heard her say, a warm smile on her face. It looked like all the recently pent up stress had finally made itself known and she released it in a short moment of weakness. Kakashi suspected that whatever troubled his wife was still there, and she just managed to reign it in for the time being.

She sniffled, rubbing away the tears, calming down completely it seemed. Deciding to help, Kakashi splashed her face unceremoniously with leftover water from his bottle. She looked aghast for a second, but soon burst into giggles.

"You are hopeless," she told him, using the opportunity to wash her face.

"So I have been told," was his nonchalant reply. "By the way, would you like to spar? Test out your jutsu?"

"What," Hinata smirked, "want to copy it? But yeah, sure."

Apparently, her joke was taken seriously by Kakashi. Nothing surprising, she thought, considering what robot she was speaking to.

"I couldn't copy it even if I wanted. I no longer have the Sharingan, and without it I cannot copy a jutsu as easily as before," he explained. "Besides, even if I had it, it would've been extremely difficult for me, as I am guessing it requires the Byakugan to successfully perform."

Hinata sighed dramatically, with mock relief. The fact that he said 'extremely difficult' and not 'impossible' already telling her a lot about Kakashi's mindset.

"Good for me that you are always right," she teased playfully. "Wait, does that mean you can copy a jutsu even without the Sharingan?"

"Of course," he scoffed. "Anyone can learn a jutsu, it's only a matter of time. True, I was called Copy Ninja because I could copy other's techniques right on the spot on the battlefield. The Sharingan was what allowed me to do it, but my natural talent in ninjutsu was what made it so easy. Otherwise, any Uchiha could've copied a thousand jutsu if it was simply due to the presence of the Sharingan. What?" he asked, noticing the look she was giving him.

"I was just simply thinking if it is your roundabout way of bragging," she deadpanned.

"I am merely stating the facts."

"Bragging," she singsonged. "Don't worry, with me you can as much as you want."

This time it was Kakashi's turn to release a dramatic sigh. "Why don't we return to our training," he started to say, before a surge of memories from another place but same time flooded his mind. His eyes widened in amused surprise, and Hinata could even see a glimmer of pride in them.

"What happened," she asked, puzzled.

"Hanabi and guys are finished," he replied, turning around just in time to meet the sight of said girl walking towards them in the company of his trusted ninken.

"Oh," was all Hinata said, looking at Hanabi's battered form and noting the absence of any clones.

"You know, right? Boss?" she heard one of them, Pakkun, say to Kakashi. He only nodded in response.

"So, how was your exercise?" Hinata asked. She could already tell by the expression on Hanabi's face that it didn't go as well as her sister would've liked. However, Kakashi seemed pleased with whatever happened, so she had no reason to worry. What his clones saw there seemed to impress the Copy Nin.

"I lost," was all she said, before feebly prostrating on the ground.

Kakashi followed suit and sat beside the dispirited girl. "Just like her sister," Hinata heard him mutter, before he turned to Hanabi. "You did well. You shouldn't feel bad about your failure," he told her. "There was practically no way for you to win, anyway. That's why I told you to hold out for as long as possible."

"You telling me I should just accept it?" she muttered, looking at the ground irritatedly, fiddling with a few blades of grass.

"Yes." He put a hand on her head. "Acceptance is the only logical choice when something has already happened. No matter how much you wish it didn't, it will never change, so the only thing left to do is to accept," he smiled. It took Kakashi many years to realize that particular wisdom, and he hoped to help Hanabi avoid making the same mistake. "What you do after is what matters the most. You can give up," he ruffled the dark locks, "or you can draw conclusions and learn from your failure."

Seemingly annoyed by his action, Hanabi slapped Kakashi's hand away, but the action lacked any malice. Hinata smiled at the exchange. Despite acting tough, her sister craved approval from her elders and mostly from herself in the first place. Kakashi's praise was like a balm on her little sister's confidence, and Hinata knew the girl liked it. Besides, she thought, she managed to hold for more than one and a half hour.

"Acceptance and giving up is not the same," Kakashi continued. "So why don't you try again?"

Hanabi just nodded, taking the lesson to heart.

"What did I do wrong, then?" she said.

"That's better," Kakashi smiled, before taking a serious expression. "For starters, tell me what you think you did wrong?"

"Why would I ask you if I–" Hanabi was about to argue, but one stern look from Hinata prevented any further attempts at sass. "I think," she thoughtfully started instead, "I could've maybe hidden our scent? Or maybe instead of facing them head on I should've tried to run and avoid confrontation…" She then looked expectantly at Kakashi.

"Well, hiding your scent could be a viable idea, but that alone wouldn't yield result."

"I know," the girl cut off, "that's what I thought. Your ninken are very good, and obviously such a cheap trick wouldn't work in that situation!"

Said ninken puffed up their chests, taking the compliment in stride.

"Even so," Kakashi pressed on, "hiding one's scent is a basic surviving skill. No matter how dirty or uncomfortable, you must hide your scent when being pursued by enemy. Especially when you have twenty minutes of a head start."

The girl hung her head in a shameful expression.

"As for your second idea," Kakashi smiled. "It is definitely what you should've done." He then went to explain, "There were four of you and eight of them, so it was already a numerical disadvantage. In a situation where you have to protect something, avoiding confrontation is generally preferable. Moreover, your team consisted of a chunin and three genins including yourself, which is already less powerful than your average pursuit squad, that usually consists of at least jounin rank shinobi. Even assuming your enemy is the same strength as you, that still makes 8 against 4. No matter how you look at it, the odds are not in your favor."

"I see… So, do you think we should've split? Or is it better to run as a single unit in that situation?" Hanabi asked curiously, past disappointment already forgotten in face of learning.

"You tell me. Your enemy was quite close, there is more of them than there are you, and we've already established that chances of them being more skilled than you are high. What do you think?"

Young Hyuga looked thoughtfully at the ground for a moment, before lifting her gaze up towards him in realization.

"It's better to stick together," she said with confidence. "Chances are grim as it is, but at least this way we will be together."

Hinata smiled at her sister's answer. Kakashi seemed pleased with it too.

"Correct," he said, once again ruffling her hair. "You made a decision to hold a place, and your defenses should try to minimize your enemy's numerical advantage," Kakashi explained. "If you decided to run instead of holding, then you could've potentially looked at splitting up. But even that is debatable."

"I see," Hinata nodded, voicing Hanabi's understanding as well.

"You'd be surprised what kind of psychological power facing adversity together can have," he smiled, looking at the horizon. He remembered all the times he and Gai took on enemies stronger than themselves and came out on top. "More towards the practical aspect; you have four people with unique skills in your team. Would it be smart to lose that advantage by splitting up?"

"But even if I did as you say," Hanabi retorted, "we would still lose."

"Most likely," he agreed. "But you would certainly have higher chances of winning. Battle, like war itself, is a game of odds and probabilities. All variables considered, anyone would choose a way that has the highest chances of leading to a desired outcome, even if it is higher by only a fraction. You simply gain as much advantage as you can. Hiding your scent, not wasting even a second when running, setting up quick traps, choosing an appropriate formation"–Kakashi ticked the options off on his fingers–"all of that results in an advantage. Advantages accumulate, giving you an edge. Shift the balance between victory and defeat, use every opportunity. The more opportunities you use, the more will be created."

Hinata marveled at the sight before her. Here was her brash sister, hanging on Kakashi's every word. Not like there was nothing to listen to. Hinata herself felt like gaining much insight on tactics.

"Anyway," Kakashi continued, "these are just basic guidelines, but by applying them you will be able to turn the tide of the battle and save lives."

"Each enemy eliminated by me, even at the cost of my life, means one less enemy to deal with for my comrades," Hanabi muttered.

It was grim, but it was the truth. Nobody present argued that fact. Shinobi were soldiers, and unfortunately that meant that they could die in conflict.

"Alright," Hinata interrupted their study session turning into darker topics. "Let's take a break to eat, you can talk about battle strategy during the meal." Once everyone agreed, she playfully added, "And after we finish eating, our Kakashi-sensei will show us his progress with his new jutsu."

"Really?!" Hanabi exclaimed excitedly, before quickly putting an air of indifference. "I mean, I don't mind checking it out. It's Gray-hair's new technique, right?"

"I wouldn't raise your hopes up just yet," said silver haired man replied. "It's not complete."

"You say it's not complete, but I have the Byakugan," Hinata smiled, pointing at her eyes. "I saw the chakra flow in your body, it was perfect. If I hadn't interrupted, you'd probably done it already. You can do it," she reassured.

After their encouragement, Kakashi felt obliged to at least show them what he'd managed to develop so far. He knew the jutsu wasn't 100% complete. There were many nuances that can only be achieved with practice, such as increasing its destructive power or honing more precise control over it. However, Kakashi was confident he could perform it at the most basic level, which essentially was just a ball of purple lightning, not dissimilar to his _Raikiri_ in the way it worked.

Quickly disposing of their meal, they went to see Kakashi's new jutsu. He readied himself, taking a deep breath and beginning to concentrate. A few _dozen _hand seals later, purple lightning coated his palm. All his lightning jutsu sounded differently, he instantly noted. The fizzle of his _Shiden _was completely different from Raikiri, and it was nothing like the chirping sound of the Chidori.

Hinata observed both her husband and her sister with interest. While Kakashi was running towards a large rock with his jutsu ready, Hanabi watched with anticipation. It soon turned into astonishment as Kakashi smashed the rock, completely shattering it. When it came to displays, nothing was flashier than Lightning techniques.

"Wow," she caught Hanabi mutter.

Hinata smirked, watching Kakashi play around with the jutsu, destroying few more trees until he was finally satisfied. She could see from the expression in his eyes that ninjutsu was something that brought joy to him. Even after so many years of being a ninja and copying countless jutsu, he still seemed to feel almost childish excitement when performing a new technique.

"So, how is it?" he asked, coming up to them a little out of breath.

"Awesome!" Hanabi exclaimed before anyone could say anything. "How did you make it purple? It looks so pretty!" That last remark made Hinata giggle and Kakashi's eye twitch. Hanabi, however, kept barraging him with questions.

"If you think that was cool, you should see it when I'll perfect it," Kakashi smirked, for once feeling like showing off. Not everyday you get to impress the brat.

"Bragging," he heard Hinata say, poorly disguised as a cough.

"Can you teach it to me, then?" Hanabi asked, her expression uncharacteristically shy. "When you perfect it, I mean."

The sight of a timid Hanabi was something unusual for Kakashi. He imagined her to act like this with someone like Kurenai or her father, but not him. Could it be that the girl actually did respect him a little?

"Of course, kid," Kakashi smiled. "Before I'll teach you that you'll have to learn some minor, less difficult lightning jutsus, though. Cannot start from the top right away."

That seemed to thrill the younger Hyuga. The girl was practically bouncing from excitement at the prospect of learning cool techniques.

"By the way, do you have Lightning release nature?"

"Huh?" Hanabi stopped, looking at him confusedly.

'_Oh, yeah,_' Hinata thought, '_she never determined her affinity…_'

"Lightning release is a form of chakra nature manipulation, I am sure you know," Kakashi started to explain. "What you might not know, which I suspect is due to the way Hyuga teach their children, is that every shinobi has affinity to at least one form of nature transformation. That's why I asked you if you had Lighning release."

"So, how do I check what nature transformation I have?" was Hanabi's immediate question. "And what if I have no affinity to lightning?" she frowned.

"Affinity just determines your predisposition to jutsu of a particular nature transformation. You can still learn jutsu of other natures even if you have no affinity for them, so don't worry," Kakashi reassured. "As for your first question… I don't have it with me, but as soon as we get home, we can do the test with special paper called Chakra Induction Paper."

"I find Lightning and Fire nature transformations the easiest," Hinata chimed in, "so there is a good chance you'll have the same."

"Lightning is the future of Konoha ninjutsu," Kakashi made an offhand comment. Naturally, knowing the mysterious ways in which the man's mind worked, no one thought of disputing that claim. Even though Fire had always been the staple of Konoha shinobi. Of course, it could be just his way of extoling his favorite nature release.

Excited by their words, Hanabi rushed them home to learn her affinity.

"Oh, by the way," she said, addressing Kakashi, "I guess your affinity would be Lightning." A nod of confirmation from the man, but the expression on her face was still curious. "I know that there are five elemental release natures, so… Which ones can you do?" She remembered Kakashi's clones using Water, Fire and Earth, so she had an idea that she just wanted to confirm.

"All of them," was the nonchalant reply. "Although I am most proficient in Lightning, Fire, Earth and Water."

"That is basically all of them, you dunce," Hanabi deadpanned.

"What about Yin and Yang?" asked Hinata.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about those two," added the younger Hyuga, remembering learning about them with her tutors. A look of disbelief crossed her face, "Don't tell me you can perform them too."

The man in question just gave the two a not-so-mysterious smile, before taking out his beloved book.

"Seriously!?"

"Well, of course he does," even Hinata felt like sighing. Like there was any doubt. Even so, she felt pride swell up in her chest.

Despite looking like he was engrossed in Icha Icha, Kakashi observed his companions with a careful eye. There, Hinata had that weird look again. It was in a complete disagreement with her words, so he was at a loss. One of these days, he vowed he'll figure it out.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

"This is not working," echoed Hanabi's annoyed voice across the training yard.

Since learning that her affinity was indeed Lightning, she was ecstatic to begin her training. However, the learning process wasn't as rewarding as Hanabi thought it would be. It was deemed too dangerous for the girl to start summoning significant amounts of lightning. Thus, for the past two hours all she'd been doing was holding a watermelon in both hands and attempting to funnel elemental chakra inside. The idea was to blow the fruit up with lightning chakra.

"Keep working," Kakashi ordered. "Blowing it up is the easiest of the watermelon exercises, so you shouldn't really complain."

"Kakashi, you should keep your focus on your own training." Hinata was supervising Kakashi's attempts at performing his new jutsu without hand seals. So far, he had no success in summoning the Purple Lightning without resorting to the additional steps. "There is more than one type of watermelon exercises?"

"Of course," the man said, both agreeing with her orders and answering the question. "Blowing the watermelon is the first step. The second step is making watermelon juice _without _getting the fruit explode. When you achieve sufficient control of your lightning chakra, you shall begin the second exercise," he explained, frowning; he did manage to reduce the number of hand seals required to _just_ twelve, though.

And so, they spent the whole early morning practicing their new jutsu. By the time noon had arrived, both Hanabi and Kakashi were exasperated to the point of snapping at each other.

"This is boring," drawled the Hyuga girl who long ago gave up on standing and had lied down on the ground instead, holding the watermelon above her stomach. "How long does it normally take?"

"I don't know," Kakashi replied irritatedly. He managed to do it from the first try when he was a kid. "Maybe the reason you can't do it is because you are not trying? Stand up and do it properly."

"Why? It's not like it matters," Hanabi snapped back, "the point is to channel chakra inside, right?"

"Yes. Key word being right. Right means properly, not lying on the ground, and without complaints."

"Like you weren't complaining just a minute ago, pestering Hinata-nee about some nerdy theory stuff."

"I only ask to make sure," the accused man grumbled. After all, what if his hypothesis was incorrect and he's been wasting his time on doing something wrongly from the start?

"Yeah, fifty times! Just admit that you want attention and stop making excuses."

"Alright, that's enough," the bickering pair heard Hinata speak up. "Hanabi, stop annoying Kakashi. Go have a break, you've been doing this for more than four hours already," she ordered her younger sister, before turning to her husband. "Kakashi, I assure you that if you managed to get where you are right now, then what you set out for yourself is possible. And yes, you have not missed anything from that book; and no, I'm not going to check for the fifteenth time, and I don't advise you to do so either."

Hinata facepalmed at her companions' antics. Honestly, those two were sometimes closer in immaturity to each other than Hinata was to either of them. She wasted at least an hour checking the book for any hints that they might have "missed". As if they could overlook anything after completely going over the article for the umpteenth time. She had practically learned its contents by heart. Luckily, Hinata had an idea as to how she could help her perfectionist husband to focus (and finally stop nagging her).

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I bet Hanabi-chan can blow up the watermelon before you figure out how to summon Shiden without hand seals."

The woman didn't need to look at the faces of her companions to see the same competitive expression.

"No way that squirt is doing it before me."

"You're on, old man!"

The two were about to dive back into their work when Hinata stopped them, holding up her hand.

"Let's take a short break and then you can start at the same time. I will cook the favorite meal of the one who manages to succeed first," Hinata offered, feeling bad about manipulating them so shamelessly.

"Oh yeah, banana crumb cake, here I come!"

"A cake is not a full meal, and we will be having miso with eggplant and salt-broiled saury today," Kakashi corrected self-assuredly, to which the girl only responded with sticking out her tongue.

Those two were something else, Hinata thought. Of course, they were going to have both the cake and the soup with saury. They'll have to help her cook, though.

* * *

"Why are we having Gray's dish if I won?" said a very much disappointed Hanabi, taking a sip from her broth.

It wasn't until the lunchtime that the younger Hyuga managed to blow up her watermelon. Amidst all the juice and pulp Hanabi celebrated her victory, which surely greatly vexed her competitor. He had only achieved the mastery of his lightning with three seals. To his relief, Hinata still made his favourite dish, which was why they were currently sitting in the guestroom and eating miso with eggplant.

"Your orders weren't mutually exclusive, so I thought why not make both," Hinata replied.

"Well, I don't mind oneesan's cooking, but it's kind of unfair that he is not eating the cake," the girl pointed at Kakashi, clearly determined to get on his nerves.

"Come on, you'll get more if I don't have to eat it," the man tried to dismiss, engrossed in his beloved miso.

"Hanabi is right. You should be a good example and eat your food."

"Not you too, Hinata!"

Most of the meal passed with Kakashi and Hanabi arguing back and forth, but eventually the man gave in. He hated sweets, but he couldn't say no to his wife's reasoning. To his surprise and Hinata's satisfaction, the cake wasn't so bad – not too sweet but still packing all the flavor.

Kakashi was about to retire to his study to continue his work on Shiden when he sensed someone approach the house. They did not enter, merely standing outside, only barely revealing their presence. From experience, Copy Nin knew only one type of people who do that – black ops.

"It seems I am needed," Kakashi said, motioning to leave.

Both Hinata and Hanabi tensed. Their Hyuga perceptiveness was showing, he thought, bewildered at the twin-like behavior of the two.

"It's fine," he reassured. "It's probably just a message."

With those words, he left the house to check if it was indeed the case.

True enough, there stood a lone figure of a Root operative. Root was Konoha's shadow paramilitary organization, established by Danzou and dissolved by the Fourth Hokage, before being reestablished again. They did all of the Village's dirty work, things even ANBU were not qualified nor comfortable enough doing. Seeing one at your doorstep was usually a bad omen. Unless you are one of them, that is.

"What happened? Need me to fix the plumbing again?" joked the Copy Nin, approaching his sudden visitor.

Clearly he needed to work on his jokes, as said visitor ignored the humor, proceeding to relay the message instead.

"There is a commotion in Zone 1. Your assistance is being required."

And just like that, the messenger left. There is just no time for protocols with Root. Everything they do, every second of their very existence is devoted to the Village. Their loyalty to the cause, however skewed, was unquestionable. Too bad their leader could not boast of same.

"Zone 1, huh," muttered Kakashi, starting to move towards the direction. A commotion in Root language meant a serious fight at the very least and a downright slaughter at worst. "And here I thought it was going to be quick."

While the two were talking, Hinata and Hanabi naturally took to eavesdropping. Glad that Kakashi taught Hanabi how to conceal her presence, Hinata listened.

She couldn't make anything, though. Perhaps that was the reason they weren't spotted – they were simply too far out of the hearing range.

"Neechan, what do you think happened?"

"I don't know…" the elder Hyuga replied, disappearing behind her room's door before coming back with two sets of weapons pouches, "But I feel like we need to help."

Hinata activated her Byakugan. Normally, she wouldn't use it in a village full of people out of respect to their privacy. However, in times like these the 10-kilometer radius of unobstructed vision was more than welcome. A quick glance and she located him. Kakashi was rapidly closing in towards the Hokage Mountain. What could possibly be wrong for him to sprint at such speed?

Then she saw it.

"Oh no," Hinata muttered under her breath.

Up ahead, where her husband was headed was the Academy. Focusing her gaze there, she saw a bunch of students huddled up behind their teachers, standing opposite to an angry looking man. By the looks of it, those kids were in trouble.

A few minutes and thousands of meters away from the house, Kakashi arrived at a sight of a stalemate between a group of kids and their teachers and a very pissed Root ninja. He immediately recognised Kasai's burly frame and a sigh almost escaped his lips. Of course, it had to be him of all people. He didn't even need to know why Manobu was there, threatening academy students. It was probably some poorly thought remark from one or the other party that sparked this conflict.

Having stopped some distance before the scene, Kakashi spent a few minutes properly assessing the situation. So far it seemed that none of them had spotted him, which was good. From the looks of it, peace between two sides was close to an end. What in the world was someone like Kasai Manobu doing at the Academy of all places?

Copy Nin could understand why Root recruited his help, even relieved that they did so. Kasai simply did not listen to reason, and unless it is Danzou who gave the order, the man won't move a muscle. Kakashi could hear loud and angry voices from their direction. Tensions were rising with each passing second, and Copy Ninja prepared himself for the worst. Danzou's tolerance of Kasai's vagrancy could only mean that the rowdy mercenary was an exceptional warrior. If things escalated any further, there'd definitely be a fight. Copy Nin had to consider his options.

Even from quite a distance their animosity could be seen clearly. From Kasai's posture to the tone of his voice, everything told Kakashi that the brute was about to explode. All it took was a spark, and Kakashi was contemplating waiting for it. If he intervened now, who was to say that a similar situation won't happen later? A previous incident with the vendor came to his mind - at that time he had resolved the conflict peacefully, but Kasai successfully returned to his violent ways after a short visit to the detention center. No, if he wanted to stop the man once and for all, he'd have to wait until the mercenary lost it and lashed out. All it took was some killing intent from the man and Kakashi could justify to Danzou killing him on the spot. The problem is, was he willing to risk someone's life, a child's no less?

While Kakashi was examining his options, the talking got more heated. It seemed Iruka took it upon himself to attempt an apology for his charges' behavior. Ever the peacekeeper. Although a worthy attempt, it wasn't one Kakashi needed. Where was Konohamaru when you needed him? As if to look for the boy, Copy Ninja instinctively reached out his senses and his eyes widened in shock when he felt two familiar chakra.

Why were _they _here?! Suddenly stakes had gotten impossibly high for the Jounin Commander.

"Why are you apologizing? He is nothing but a bully!" Hanabi's loud voice could be heard from behind Iruka, causing everyone to turn their heads to the girl.

Hinata was there too. When the pair arrived Kakashi could feel his heart skip a beat. How could he not sense them earlier? It seemed Hanabi's stealth skills had improved. For some reason, instead of being happy that Kasai got provoked again, Kakashi wished they hadn't come and weren't the ones doing the provoking. Hanabi continued speaking, aggravating Kasai, no doubt.

He didn't have time to lament on it, as a wave of killing intent swept across the courtyard. Danzou's lieutenant, angered by the little Hyuga's words finally snapped, bounding towards her. Iruka, who was standing between the two was effortlessly thrown aside from his way. Kakashi didn't even have time to think before his body moved on its own. In a splitsecond he was standing beside Hanabi, his hand outstretched, Kasai's larger one held tightly in its grip. It was mere centimeters before the kunai in it connected with Hanabi's throat.

Kakashi felt another wave of murderous intent, but this time it came from within. Using the enemy's surprise to his advantage, Copy Nin struck Kasai's own throat with his free hand, sending the man staggering back. The hit should have broken the bastard's windpipe _at the very least_, but what Kakashi knew from experience was that tough guys like Kasai did not die easily. Not waiting to be proven right, Kakashi immediately lunged to finish the job. To his surprise, not only was his follow-up blow blocked, but Kasai had enough in him to release some furious remarks along the way! If the strangled wheeze that resulted from his injury could be called speaking.

"I'll ki' ya'!" his enemy snarled coughing up blood, hands already moving to form seals, seemingly completely unaffected by the state of his throat.

Even without the Sharingan Kakashi was adept enough at ninjutsu to recognise the pattern of a mid-range offensive Fire technique. All jutsu had a unique sequence of hand seals, but many could be grouped into classes based on the pattern of seals. As such, even though Kakashi did not know the exact technique, he could preemptively summon a Water Wall to counter his opponent's Fire Release attack.

Using the steam that rose from the collision of two elements as a cover, Kakashi leapt forward once again, this time with Raikiri ablaze. Unfortunately, his attack once again failed to connect as Kasai managed to dodge at the last moment.

It seemed the man was quite fast despite his large frame. His enemy smiled wickedly, showing bloodstained teeth. Words must have hurt him too much by that point to express his smug satisfaction.

Kakashi felt something was off immediately after Kasai leaped away from his Raikiri. His instincts did not betray him as his heightened hearing sensed a characteristic fizzle of a paper bomb coming from his back. Without a second thought Kakashi ripped his jounin vest off and released a burst of Wind chakra from his body, sending the piece of clothing with an explosive tag on it flying away from him. In turn, the blast that followed had sent him flying. Absently, Kakashi admired Kasai's quick thinking. Sneakily attaching an exploding tag to his vest while simultaneously dodging his attack was a nice move that required considerable skill.

Alhough Copy Nin's experience managed to save him from getting blown away, it couldn't compensate for his stupidity. Using Lightning Cutter without the Sharingan was completely irresponsible, yet he still resorted to his signature technique in the heat of the moment. Although his instincts had saved him just now, they were the thing that put him in danger in the first place. That thought dashed through his alert mind for a briefest of moments right after the explosion.

Hinata and Hanabi's tense forms flashed in Kakashi's periphery when he was thrown away in their direction by the shockwave.

Expectedly, Kasai took the moment of Copy Nin's disorientation to launch an attack of his own.

As soon as Hinata saw the Lightning Blade in Kakashi's hand she felt worry flood her whole being. He knew better than to use it like that, against an opponent like Manobu. When the explosion burst a few meters beside Kakashi she could feel her heart skip a beat.

"Sis, we need to help," she heard Hanabi yell, worry in her sister's tone mirroring her own state at the moment.

They had but a few seconds to react before Kasai released another burst of fire at Kakashi. And this time it looked like the jounin won't be able to escape it.

Kakashi barely landed on his feet as a powerful surge of flames closed in on him. He expected it, but the explosive attack that preceded it had been too close for him to recover in time. Still stunned from the blast, he couldn't react properly to any attack that was surely coming his way. He coated his body with chakra in a desperate attempt to mitigate as much damage as possible and prepared for the worst.

Weirdly, the impact never came.

The ringing in his ears from the explosion could not prevent him from hearing the powerful whoosh around and yet, Copy Nin didn't feel the agonizing pain of his skin getting singed by his enemy's jutsu. All he felt was a little bit hot, but nowhere near as hot as it should be. Once the blinding effect of the explosion flash started to subside, Kakashi immediately noticed a silhouette standing right beside him. It didn't take the man long to focus his gaze and recognize Hinata's gracious form. Instantly he realized what happened, even though the ambient hum and his surprise had made it difficult to think straight.

While Kakashi was still recuperating, Hinata spun in her clan's famous technique, deflecting the flames and shielding him from the fire that had engulfed the barrier completely by this point. He saw her lips move, he didn't need to hear or read her lips to know what she was saying – 'Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation'. Kakashi smiled. What was it with ninjas shouting the names of their techniques away, he couldn't help but wonder? Regardless, the sight from inside of his wife's _Kaiten_ got to be one of the most mesmerizing he'd ever seen.

Alas, Kakashi had no time to relish the swirling patterns of chakra and flames, as the ringing in his ears had quitened down enough for him to return back to battle. Once the fire around them petered out, Hinata made a quick once over of his condition, before nodding and jumping aside, to where her sister was distracting the enemy with ranged attacks. Two siblings now stood side by side a short distance away, ready to attack but not eager to. Someone had to make sure nobody got under the crossfire, afterall.

"Well, it seems the ladies are giving me a chance to redeem myself," Kakashi spoke, addressing the man whose attention immediately turned back on him.

He only got a grunt and another fireball at himself in response.

Prepared this time, Kakashi summoned an Earth Wall. He followed it up by using chakra to propel pieces of the wall towards his enemy. Manobu had no trouble dodging the projectiles, as the rock bullets shattered on ground behind him.

Copy Nin was restricted in his options due to the fight being at the Academy, where a lot of potential bystanders could get caught in the middle of it. The only reason why nobody was hurt yet was the Hyuga sister's prompt action. Everytime something flew towards the general direction of the school they used Kaiten to repel it. Aside from them, nobody had intervened yet. Clearly, there wasn't anybody qualified enough to stop the fight between two high ranking shinobi quickly enough. As efficient as Root were, they were too passive when it came to their superiors. Years of Danzou's conditioning made them hesitant to act against those they've recognised as their leaders. Kakashi could only hope that Iruka and others had evacuated the students by now.

The fight continued, with neither side gaining an upper hand. Hinata and Hanabi stood ready to deflect any stray attack flying towards the building or students who were being evacuated. These kids might be future ninja, but as of now they were just kids. Emptying an entire school full of children was bound to be slow. Especially when some of said children were too curious for their own good, trying to sneak a peak of the battle that was unfolding on their schoolyard.

After a particularly frustrating taijutsu exchange, Kakashi decided it was enough. He had to finish it asap if he didn't want to end up accidentally killing someone as a side casualty. Concentrating, he pulled at the Lightning nature within him to make sure what he was planning to do was going to work. Sensing the chakra readily respond, he smirked.

"Alright, Kasai, let's end this."

Said man spat out some blood in response, preparing himself for the final showdown.

As if sensing his opponent's intentions, the two lunged towards each other, kunai in hand. Blades collided, metal sending sparks around the point of contact. Almost at the same time Kakashi thrust his free hand forward, only for it to get caught by Kasai's larger one. The man predictably smirked, his eyes darting towards their locked hands. Kakashi followed his gaze and could see a chakra-resistant explosive tag wrapped around his knuckle. The bastard hid the tag sticky side up in his palm, so that he could easily attach it on him. Unfortunately for Kasai, Kakashi wasn't the type of person to fall twice for the same trap. Manobu's smirk fell as he tried to remove his palm from Kakashi's knuckle.

"What's the matter, can't take your hands off?" asked Kakashi. It was his turn to smirk. The tag was set to explode in four seconds, presumably to allow Kasai enough time to escape.

"Wha' ha' ya done? Why can' I"–he futilely tugged his hand, trying to detach from Kakashi–"Bo' gon' die!"

"We'll see about that," Kakashi replied, locking gazes with his enemy one last time.

A mere second before the blast, Purple Lightning burst from his hand, disintegrating the paper bomb and spreading to Kasai's body. Smell of ozone permeated the air, as well as the smell of burnt flesh. Even after receiving such damage, his opponent was able to utter his last words.

"The fuck…"

Kasai's lifeless body fell on the ground, and Kakashi's a little livelier one followed suit a second later. It was impossible with any other of his jutsu, but not Shiden. He specifically designed it to overcome his previous creations' deficiencies. One of them being the tunnel vision, another – their inability to deactivate complex seals. Before his discarded vest exploded, he took notice of the explosive on it. He was no fuinjutsu expert, but he picked up a thing or two from his sensei and Kushina-sama. The pattern on the seals indicated protection from the elements, which was a typical preventive measure in the field. Such an adjustment made the explosive tag resistant to things that would normally destroy the paper, like moisture or heat. The seals looked sophisticated and Copy Nin had an idea that Kasai improved them to withstand elemental chakra release as well, making them virtually indestructible. That is, unless a jutsu that had initially been designed for that purpose was used.

Kakashi chuckled, not believing his luck. With Purple Lightning, he took his time and developed it into a jutsu that could deactivate chakra-resistant seals, an ability he felt was most valuable for a technique that he was going to be using without hand seals. However, he would have never imagined that it would win him a fight the very first time he attempted to use it in battle. It all worked out in the end only because he managed to summon his Shiden without hand seals. It gave him an element of surprise and allowed the jounin to lure his opponent into a trap.

The victor lifted his head from the ground momentarily to assess his surroundings. Fortunately, the building was undamaged, and none of the children seemed to have been caught up in the fight. The courtyard was the only thing ruined. A sigh that came out of his masked lips contained equal amounts of relief and exhaustion.

Kakashi was tired. He took a quick check on himself to see if there were any significant injuries. Satisfied that there were none, he plopped back on the ground, fully intending to rest for a while.

"That was amazing!" he heard Hanabi's loud voice from across the yard, and from the sound of it, it was rapidly getting nearer. "You did it without the hand seals, and it was, like, only your sixty third try!"

Copy Nin closed his eyes, hoping the girl will get the clue and quieten a bit. Luckily for him, there was another Hyuga who was much more empathetic to a man who had just experienced an explosion up close.

"Come now, Hanabi, let him rest," Hinata said, already scanning his body for any injuries.

"Alright," the girl conceded, not unkindly. Her patience was only long enough to last for a couple of seconds, though, "but why couldn't that guy you fought remove his hand from yours? It looked like as if it was glued. I saw him holding you, but your hand couldn't hold his."

"Ah, that," Kakashi recalled, standing up to take the hand of Kasai's corpse. "It was a good old wire string." With those words, he unrapped the cords from the charred arm, putting his equipment back inside the pouch.

"Cool."

"If you want, I can teach you to use the wires," he told her. "I assure you, it is a very useful skill." He remembered all the times wire strings saved his life and secured him victory in battle. A nifty little trick like binding your enemy with invisible rope was always good to learn.

"Really?" Hanabi looked at him hopefully, before finally coming to her senses. "I mean, yeah sure, why not," she said, in a much more leveled tone.

Masked jounin nodded, then looked at Hinata. "And what about you?"

"I'd be happy to learn, too," she said with a soft smile, before returning to his wounds.

"It's settled then. A schedule for me: perfect Shiden; teach Hanabi Lightning release and teach you two how to use wires."

"That's some tight schedule you've got, Hatake," Hinata giggled, to which Kakashi could only scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

"Not your flirting again!" Hanabi whined, causing her sister to blush and once again bumble in denial. Kakashi's confused chuckle did not make things easy for the elder Hyuga.

"Now then, I need to take care of the body and we–"

A shrill gasp cut off his words. Everyone turned to see a shocked girl, no older than six. Tears were threatening to spill from her big round eyes. It seemed the scorched dead body of Kasai was too much for the young ninja-to-be to handle. Behind her, other kids were coming up, curious as to what could elicit such a response from their peer. They were promptly denied by Iruka, who expertly shepherded the whole group as far away from the gruesome sight as possible.

A young woman, presumably a teacher, had noticed the scene and quickly came up to help usher the girl away, sending a glare towards the Copy Nin.

Finally, Root agents arrived. They did not seem to require any orders as they wordlessly took the body and left as suddenly as they appeared. Kakashi had no doubts that they witnessed everything and knew that Manobu was the instigator and had to be put down to save Konoha from a huge scandal.

"These guys seriously creep me out," Hanabi complained. She turned to Hinata after a small pause, "It's done. Can we go now?"

"Not so fast," they heard a furious ringing voice. It was the same female teacher that took the girl away. "You started a battle on the Academy territory, practically destroyed our courtyard and to top it off, scared one of the students! Do you even realize what kind of trauma can a child get after seeing what Yuzu saw today?" the woman poked Kakashi in the chest.

Images of his father lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood flashed in Copy Nin's mind.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

The look in Kakashi's eyes when he said that did not escape Hinata's attention. He suddenly looked numb, as if he went inside for a second, before resurfacing back with an almost distant expression.

"Regardless of administrative trifles, someone has to explain whatever the hell has happened here!" the teacher didn't back down, likely missing the shift in the masked man's mood.

"Don't worry, I'll personally be writing a report on this case," Kakashi assuaged, mentally trying to quench the irritation of his own. "It'll never happen again, I assure you."

The look in the teacher's eyes warned that he'd better be damn sure it didn't. Seeing that there was nothing else she was going to get from the man, she turned around and began walking off.

"Yuzu's parents are going to be here any minute," she dropped at last, stopping for a moment. "They are civilians. Someone has to explain all of this to them."

With those words, the woman strode away to help the rest of the Academy staff direct the children away from the scene. Being ninjas, the students really did their best to make the process as chaotic for the teachers as possible.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" Hanabi exclaimed. "Seriously, the bad guy died – no big deal."

Even though Hanabi herself wasn't particularly comfortable with someone dying right in front of her eyes, she was a ninja! She understood why certain things had to happen. The girl should have known better than enrolling into a ninja academy if she was going to react like that.

Kakashi smiled, ruffling the girl's brown locks. "She is six, barely Academy student, Hanabi-chan. Don't be too hard on her."

"Yeah," Hinata agreed, sighing. "Poor thing was probably shocked more than anything."

"Still, that woman was way too disrespectful. Doesn't she know who you are?"

"She probably didn't recognize me by sight," the masked ninja replied. "She is a literature teacher, you see."

"Literature?" both sisters asked in unison, surprise clear in their voices.

"Her name is Fukuda Chiyo. She is new to teaching but she is well acquainted with the shinobi world – half of her family are ninja."

"So, she is a ninja?"

"No. Only a teacher." Kakashi's gaze wandered to the fearful yet somewhat excited faces of academy students that were being led away by their teachers. "I know what you think. A literature teacher in a ninja academy? Sounds crazy, right?"

"Well," Hinata said, "it does seem unusual. But I think it's not a bad idea."

"You do?" now he was the one to sound surprised.

"Yes well, all of your ideas sound crazy but are actually pretty great," the Hyuga giggled.

"How do you know it was mine?" now he was truly astonished.

"Come on, Gray-hair, we can put two and two together," Hanabi chimed in. "Now tell us why in the world did you get a literature teacher in the ninja school?"

"The world needs to change," he provided, pensive. Receiving questioning stares, Kakashi started to elaborate. "The world _is _changing. People, shinobi, are not the same as they were twenty or even ten years ago. Here we teach our young war," he gestured at the Academy around them. "The least we could do is to teach them how to make peace as well."

He remembered his class back when he was in Academy. Not killers yet but warriors, certainly. His eyes landed on a group of students just outside the Academy entrance; although nervous, he could see from their eyes they had not a care in the world. Children. Weaker, perhaps. But happier too.

Hinata understood. He wanted to adapt the conditions for future generations. Instead of changing the children, Kakashi looked to change the system. In times of relative peace like after this War, it was not only reasonable but also necessary to change for the better.

Literature, art, music, science – those were going to be the driving force of progress in the future. Kakashi recognized it, and he was trying to make sure to bring the same culture up in their youngest. So that the future generations will compete with knowledge rather than power, will create rather than destroy. To Hinata, there was no man she was proud of more than her husband.

"I told you," she smiled triumphantly, "it is a great idea."

"I am glad you share my view. I am also glad the Kage of other great villages share it too," Kakashi smirked. That initiative was one of the few ones he truly felt proud of.

"Get out, you guys are going to actually change everything!?"

Sometimes Hanabi simply did not realize how cute her reactions were, Kakashi thought, messing up her hair once again.

"Yes. As per new regulations, the age at which a person can apply for Chunin is going to be twelve years. Also, a ninja won't be able to receive a mission higher than D-rank if they are not chunin. We hope to increase the age threshold gradually, to make the transition smooth."

"That's a very… optimistic idea," remarked Hanabi, obviously not totally convinced.

"I know, there are many potential loopholes and issues with our new regulations. There are quite a few exceptions, too. All of that will be addressed eventually." Kakashi turned to see the academy girl's mother arrive, "In any case, there will be months before these rules come into effect. We have just finalized it all at the last Kage summit."

Hinata watched Kakashi formally apologize to the girl's mother and then the girl herself. Unlike her teacher, the mother knew who Kakashi was and did not press the issue any further. The girl herself, Hinata thought her name was Yuzu, looked even more terrified when Kakashi approached. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to let the girl know that it was you who brutally murdered a person whose dead body she saw just minutes ago.

The incident had seemed to cause quite a commotion. From all around, parents and students alike had gathered to get explanations as to why the Academy yard was demolished and their kids so scared. Kakashi ended up apologizing to everyone.

Hinata could hear the angry mutters. Spurred by their numbers, they acted more aggressively than if they had been alone. She saw the faces of the parents and their kids, disgust and indignation on the formers' and fear on the latters', sometimes both on either. How could they not understand? He saved their kids, he should be the one _receiving gratitude_, not giving apologies. She looked at her husband, urging him to look back at her. She wanted to convey her support, but Kakashi's head had remained hung low throughout the ordeal.

Finally, they seemed to tire chewing him out, so they left them alone.

"He is just a mindless executioner, a relic of the past," Hinata heard one smug, older looking kid say loudly. "Couldn't even defeat that guy without getting help from his girls." His friends seemed to share the opinion, smirking blithely, shamelessly provoking the jounin.

"What did you say?" Hanabi strode up to him, righteous fury in each step.

"I said–"

The teenager couldn't finish, as Hanabi's fist collided with his nose before another pompous snort could come out of it. The other boys watched shocked as their friend was knocked down by a considerably smaller girl. The now not so smug looking victim was about to retaliate, but one look into the young Hyuga's eyes made him reconsider.

"If you weren't a girl, I'd show you," the boy said rather lamely, holding his bloody nose. "Come on guys, let's get out of here."

"Yeah, more like if I weren't a Hyuga and weren't stronger than you, wuss."

Hanabi felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning back, she saw Hinata's proud face. For once, Hinata didn't want to scold her baby sister for her violence. "We should go, too."

The trio was about to go their way when they were stopped by the same teacher who talked to them earlier, Fukuda-sensei.

"What does she need now," Hinata heard her sister mutter through gritted teeth.

As if she heard Hanabi, the woman spoke in a formal but much less harsh way than before "I just wanted to apologize." She turned to Kakashi. "These students are the Academy's responsibility, and their conduct was highly insensitive and disrespectful, not to mention inappropriate. Especially considering that your actions were to defend the students in the first place. So, on behalf of Konoha Academy, please accept our apology," she bowed low. It was clear that the woman took her responsibilities seriously.

"It's fine, they are just some kids," Copy Nin shrugged.

"Stupid kids," Hanabi interjected.

How many similar remarks Kakashi had to shrug away like this, Hinata wondered? His nonchalance might have fooled everyone else, but Hinata saw his expression moments ago when those boys were verbally abusing him. It looked like he was shaking, balling his fists so hard that his gloves started to make sounds.

"I also talked with Iruka-sensei…" Fukuda seemed to hesitate, before continuing. "He informed me of your… past tragedy." She was clearly talking about his father's suicide. "My behavior was even more insensitive than those boys'. Please forgive me," she bowed again. "He also told me that it was you who recommended me as a teacher to this school. That makes me feel even more ashamed."

"You don't have to feel ashamed for being right."

That statement made everyone look up at him in surprise.

"One's tragedy does not excuse one to cause same pain to others," Kakashi continued. "You were looking out for your student, and I understand that."

Suddenly unable to face the masked man, Chiyo turned her head away towards the Academy. Bright faces of children passing through its gates every day were what made the building look so warm and alive to her eyes.

"I love children. I love teaching," the teacher said softly with a wistful smile. "Before this job I had no purpose…" her smile turned into a frown of guilt. "I suppose I should thank you as well. For giving me purpose."

"You should thank only your own merit," the masked man countered seriously. "You seemed like a good person for this job, so I suggested you. Now I see that you are perfect for it. I am glad I have entrusted you with these children. Please continue caring for them as I'm sure you always do."

A warm flush rosed the young teacher's cheeks. This man seemed so kind! Despite his own ruined childhood, he didn't seem to grow bitter. He tried to do right by the village's children. And he seemed genuinely remorseful for today's incident. He didn't look like a ruthless dirty old man her relatives described him as.

"Th–thank you," she stammered. "I– I should be going," she gestured towards other teachers calling her.

"See you later," was Kakashi's cheerful reply after the hurried woman.

It was time for the three of them to go back as well.

Finally, the three ninjas arrived home, and right before the dinner time! The whole way there Kakashi was somewhat subdued, which didn't go unnoticed by his two companions. Even now he just mechanically sat at the table, when there even was no food cooked to be served to begin with.

Naturally, Hanabi made a ridiculous assumption that he had a crush on the female teacher they've just met. Something she quietly teased Hinata with during the entirety of their walk. Sure, that woman was pretty, and kind. She was a literature teacher, too. So they'd probably get along really well, he liked those _Icha Icha _books after all, and– Wait a minute. Why was Hinata overthinking it so? Surely, she knew better than allow Hanabi's joking affect her judgement.

What mattered now was Kakashi's state, not her weird thoughts. With that in mind, Hinata came up to the table and gently but firmly tugged her still unmoving husband to the sofa.

"Something is bothering you," she said immediately when they touched the soft surface.

"It's nothing," Kakashi tried to dismiss, as usual. The fact that he avoided looking in her eyes didn't escape his wife.

"Kakashi," she inclined closer to him, attempting to catch his gaze. "Remember what you said to me? No hiding feelings from each other, right?"

That seemed to do the trick. The jounin exhaled guiltily, resigned to obey his own promise.

"It's just that everything they've said today is affecting me, I guess," he let out a humorless chuckle, clearly disappointed in himself. Which, Hinata bet, did nothing to improve his mood.

"Kakashi…"

"I know it is silly, but it feels so hard," he closed his eyes, letting out another sigh. "Just so hard…" he repeated, voice shaky.

'_So hard to keep doing everything I do_,' was left unsaid.

It was at that moment that the great Copy Nin seemed the most vulnerable to Hinata. Eyes downcast, head hung low, an infinitely tired expression marring his face. It was the face of a person drowning under the other people's problems. It was in moments like these that Hinata got reminded that Kakashi was not a machine that could perfectly perform every task it was set to. He was human, like the rest of them, and even he had moments where his seemingly indestructible image crumpled, leaving the raw emotion underneath.

"Kakashi," Hinata put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Not thinking long, she did the same with her other hand with his other shoulder. "Remember what you told me? Only opinions of those who matter to you matter."

"Like you and Hanabi?" he asked, an almost childish intonation in his voice. Sometimes Kakashi had a way with words. Other times, like right now, he could be adorably dorky.

"Yes," she smiled, "like me and Hanabi."

"What she did back there…" a smile graced the jounin's maskless face upon recalling the little Hyuga's actions earlier at the Academy. "I don't know why, but I feel honored," he tried to make a joke.

"You should be," Hinata let out a chuckle, hoping that whatever was troubling her husband was finally letting off. "I feel proud of her." There was that weird gleam in her eyes. "I'm proud of you too, Kakashi. As you should be of yourself."

That lone sentence uttered from his wife's mouth had deeply resonated within Copy Ninja's very soul. Kakashi already felt uncharacteristically emotional in light of today's events. But learning just what was that gleam in Hinata's eyes felt like all the wind got knocked out of his lungs. She was _proud_. He couldn't remember the last time someone told him they were proud of him. All the more reason to feel like a scumbag.

"You are wrong," he sighed, making her smile drop in a confusion. "If you knew just what kinds of things–"

"I don't care!" he heard Hinata shout. "I know what was _expected _of a ninja before. You did all of that. All of that and more. For the sake of the Village!"

She lowered her hands from his shoulders, taking his gloved ones in turn.

"These hands," she choked out, caressing the calloused fingertips, "you sullied them with blood and surrendered them to the poison that was the shinobi world! But you never gave up your heart! Your soul and your mind remain pure from all this filth! Even after so many years… So, don't tell me you are undeserving because you've killed!" Hinata clenched his hands in her own, her heart breaking as he visibly winced at her every word. "It is because you did all that that I think you deserve peace more than anyone." She looked in his eyes, tears freely falling from her own. "After all, you spilled blood to bring about a new age."

Hinata could see Kakashi's eyes begin to glisten after her monologue, heard him take in a sharp breath.

"Don't you understand?" she pushed, whispering, beckoning him to see what she saw so clearly. Her quiet sorrow landed on his palms, making wet spots on his gloves. "You spilled blood so that kids like Hanabi didn't have to. They can smile and laugh and love… They can afford to be weak and _enjoy it_ because of people like you!"

"Hinata, you don't understand…"

"Then tell me."

Hearing this, he screwed up his eyes, closing them so hard that it was almost painful.

Added to everything that had been said before, those three words carried so much meaning. Kakashi knew that even after telling her his every shameful secret she wasn't going to change her opinion. That gave him strength more than anything.

"I– When I arrived at the scene," Kakashi began, somewhat getting a grip on himself, "I knew that unless Kasai attacked anyone, I wouldn't be able to get rid of him for good. He was Danzou's favourite, afterall. So, I waited until someone brave enough, or stupid enough provoked him. I was willing to risk an innocent's life to destroy an enemy," his voice had become so much heavier.

"Oh, Kakashi…"

"And that's not all," he said, before she could say anything else; before she could erase his guilt with her kind words and her gentle smile. "When Hanabi and you arrived... I don't know, it happened so fast…" Kakashi was staring blankly at her shoulder, not willing to look her in the eye. "Kasai attacked her, and I– I just snapped. I moved almost instinctively to stop him. That was when I realized: I would've never allowed myself to risk your or Hanabi's lives like I risked those other people's." The masked man rubbed his face, exhaustion emanating from every sound he made. "And that makes me the biggest scum of them all. I was willing to risk another's life, but I could not even consider doing the same with people close–"

Kakashi couldn't finish his sentence as he felt Hinata's arms wrap around him. His face was buried against her soft body, her rapid heartbeat not so distinct from his own. A wave of familiar emotions washed over him, invoking feelings buried deep beneath.

"I am still proud of you," he heard her soft, reassuring voice from above his head.

It was too much, Kakashi thought, feeling his control slip away. _She_ was too much.

Hinata smiled ruefully when she felt her shirt getting wet. With each rise of her chest, each shake of his body she felt Kakashi release pain accumulated throughout the years. Only him would break his own principles to save someone he cared about. She understood how he must have felt like a total hypocrite. Especially since his famous credo was protecting a comrade no matter what. Risking an innocent's life was something that could break Kakashi if he were to fail and said innocent died in the process. He must be disgusted with himself, Hinata thought, stroking his silver hair. However, she herself would never feel that emotion directed at her husband. To her, he was a hero who simply always tried to choose the hardest path.

"You are not scum," she whispered soothingly. "You just try to burden the whole world on your shoulders."

She was confident in his abilities to save someone in time before they were struck. He was trying to save many by risking one. A noble cause. However, he forgot, like he often did, that he was a human too. Sometimes there was no right or wrong – just action and consequences. Who's to say that Kakashi was ruthless? And who's to say that he was too soft?

Still holding him in her embrace, Hinata raised her head to see Hanabi's shocked face. Her little sister quickly stepped beside the sofa, where the pair of adults were situated. She stood there for a few moments, looking lost, before slowly raising her hand and putting it on Kakashi's back in a comforting manner. His body tensed at first, but gradually relaxed back, his breathing slowly becoming steady again.

The three of them remained like that, sharing their closeness until Kakashi's exhausted body and mind surrendered to peaceful sleep. Gently turning his limp frame around, Hinata placed his head on her lap, pleasantly noting that there no longer were signs of tears on his face. Chuckling humorlessly at the fact that in his frazzled state Kakashi forgot to remove his headband, Hinata carefully untied the object from her husband's head and set it aside. Brushing away the gray strands, Hinata bent down and placed a soft kiss on Kakashi's forehead. She continued caressing his hair, absently sensing the weight shift on the couch.

Turning, Hinata smiled as her sister finished pulling up Kakashi's legs onto the couch. The little Hyuga then sat on the floor beside the sleeping man, resting her head centimeters away from his relaxed hand as if afraid to wake him if she were to accidentally touch him. There was an unspoken resolution in Hanabi's eyes before she too closed them and went to sleep, right there at the foot of Kakashi's couch.

Hinata smiled knowing perfectly well that Hanabi saw and heard every detail of her and Kakashi's conversation. She smiled knowing that Hanabi understood. And she smiled feeling her affection for the man in her arms grow with each passing second.

Hinata promised herself that she'll do everything in her power to protect her two most precious people who were currently sleeping peacefully on the old couch in this room.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

As Konoha's Jounin Commander, Kakashi had the honor to speak first during the Jounin Council's meetings. Needless to say, these gatherings rarely ended peacefully, with clans often at each other's throats by the time the council adjourned.

"I think we all know why we are here," said Tsume Inuzuka as soon as Kakashi finished the customary introductory speech. "What the hell happened yesterday at the Academy?"

The bite in Inuzuka matriarch's tone didn't normally appear until much later in the meeting, but it looked like yesterdays battle at the Academy was much too outrageous of an occurrence.

"I was about to get there–" Kakashi started but was once again interrupted by another jounin.

"This is getting ridiculous; we can't even ensure our children's safety within the walls of our own Academy!"

"And we still don't know the full details on what happened," seconded another, followed by indignant voices from the rest of the attendees.

"If you let Kakashi-sama speak, I am sure he will fill us in on the specifics," Shikamaru suggested diplomatically. The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes slightly, as if beckoning their Jounin Commander to continue.

"Thank you, Shikamaru-sama. I was meaning to inform you regarding my and Kasai Manobu's… encounter yesterday. We conducted an investigation and after questioning the witnesses, namely Academy staff and students, it has been concluded that Kasai was the instigator."

"No shit, is there anything we couldn't deduce ourselves?" Tsume's flippant remark elicited equal number of smiles and frowns among the council.

"Protocol is important, Tsume-sama," Kakashi reminded, "and we can't just ignore the appropriate steps during such a situation."

"You mean the law is followed only when it's usefult to you?"

Kakashi had to stifle a groan. Why did that woman insist on being such a pain?

"Let's cut to the chase, as no one here particularly fancies going through all the bureaucracy," Hiashi chimed in with a nod towards the Copy Nin.

Thankful for Hyuga Head's interjection, Kakashi spoke once again.

"Kasai was not the most stable and level-headed of people, I am sure you are all aware of that. And when provoked by students he engaged into a verbal match. It wasn't long until the teachers got involved. Long story short, he almost killed my sister-in-law, Hanabi," Kakashi said, making said girl's father's eyes widen in surprise. "At that point I had no other choice than dispose of the man."

"My daughter didn't tell me anything about being involved…" Hiashi said stroking his chin, expression pensive. "Nonetheless, I thank you for your interference."

Kakashi smiled. "I understand your concerns," he said, addressing everyone present. "Such an occurrence is unacceptable within our village's walls and I will do my best so that it doesn't happen again. However, I believe I did what I had to do given the situation. Danzou-sama has approved of my decision as well."

Despite his unpopularity in the council, Copy Nin could clearly see that most of the jounin representatives agreed with him. Reluctantly, but they couldn't find fault in his actions during such a stressful situation.

'_If only they knew_,' Kakashi thought ruefully, remembering how he almost killed Hanabi with his risky plan.

"Here is the full report on what happened, written by the police and Root," he said, tossing a hefty stack of folders on the table, one copy for each member present.

"Well, shall we move on to other matters now that we are done with this?" Hiashi suggested, giving his folder to one of his subordinates for later inspection.

Shikamaru's glance shifted between the Hyuga Head and their Jounin Commander. Something seemed to change in their relationship, he couldn't help but notice. It was as if there was a certain level of respect between them. And Hiashi was subtly trying to soften the blow on the Copy Nin ever since the meeting started, always redirecting the conversation whenever Kakashi was being scrutinized. Yes, these two definitely came to some sort of understanding beforehand. Sorting that information for later, the Nara Head turned his attention back to their meeting.

Unbeknownst to the young Resistance leader, his other comrades too had come to a similar conclusion regarding the sudden warming of Kakashi and Hiashi's relationship. There was no doubt that it was due to Kakashi's marriage on the latter's daughter. The question was whether their alliance was mutual or forced on Kakashi's part. Judging by Hinata's completely loyal disposition to her husband, it was likely that the Hyuga clan appreciated Jounin Commander as an ally. This was something that needed to be examined more thoroughly, so everyone of Shikamaru's friends decided that they'll approach their leader after the meeting.

* * *

"Is he serious?" asked Hanabi no one in particular while Kakashi was away on the Jounin Council meeting. "Does he even know?"

Did Kakashi know that today, December 27th, was Hinata's birthday? The reason Hanabi was so exasperated was that Kakashi showed no indication that he was aware of his own wife's date of birth.

"He probably doesn't," dismissed Hinata.

The elder Hyuga wasn't in the least affected by her husband's negligence. After all, he had no way of knowing if she didn't tell him herself. Even if he knew, it did not really matter to her whether he celebrated it or not. She knew that he cared and that was enough for her.

And if he cared, Hanabi was quick to point out, then he should celebrate it.

The Hyuga siblings went to the market. What Hinata forgot to mention to Kakashi, aside from the fact that today was her birthday, was that Shikamaru hosted a soiree of his own. With the Jounin Council being too reliant on Danzou and Kakashi, most of Konoha's inter-clan matters were solved during such "parties". These events usually involved a lot of people Hinata has never met before, as virtually every clan, minor or major, held representation there.

Hinata hoped to use that occasion to make her friends start working together with Kakashi, since her husband agreed to let Shikamaru's group in on his plans to overthrow Danzou. But first things first, she was asked to prepare food for the reception.

Walking the rows of Konoha's market, Hinata couldn't help but feel like with each passing day the prices went up, with Danzou's government constantly increasing the tariffs. Even the assortment seemed poorer than a year before, with some of the more exotic goods becoming hard to come by. Their Hokage did not care though, all he needed from the village were soldiers to wage war with and money to fund it. It was surprising that Danzou's regime could go for a whole year without a major conflict.

Five hours later and Shikamaru's house was ready for receiving guests. Hanabi proudly looked over the assortment of food and drinks they've prepared, all accurately arranged on numerous big tables. Appropriately excessive. Nevertheless, cooking with Hinata was so fun that she didn't mind making some extra anyway. The Nara chefs were also impressed by her sister's culinary skills. Never did they learn that her sister received cooking lessons from the best chefs courtesy of Father's education.

It wasn't long before first visitors started to arrive. Hinata's former teammates and sensei fancied showing up together in a mob, it seemed. They didn't forget about Hinata's birthday, as a chorus of 'happy birthdays' echoed in the still quite empty lounge, followed by presents. As other guests started to make appearance, Konoha 11 were catching up. As the event was geared towards Konoha clans, Sakura, Tenten, Sai and some of Hinata's other friends were not present. She understood why they were not invited, but it bothered her still that she couldn't spend her birthday with all of her friends together.

Meanwhile, people kept coming and coming, it felt like, with all the constant greetings and pleasantry exchanges. Unlike her big sister, Hanabi was appropriately bored. There was not a single person whom she knew aside from Hinata's circle of friends. She didn't want to miss out on spending time with her sister, but this formal clan meeting was more of a chore than a party. She would've been fine if they actually discussed things directly like in a council, but the diplomacy there was more subtle, with people quietly mingling with each other and solving their problems in relative shadow. Hanabi easily admitted that Hinata-oneesan was much better than her at these kinds of social things. The girl looked her sister's way, seeing a sizeable group of people practically surround Hinata on all sides.

"Hatake-sama, what a pleasure it is to finally formally meet you."

"How do you find this little party, Hatake-sama."

"Oh, you must visit the next party we will be hosting! Our compound's gardens are absolutely exquisite in the evening!"

"I doubt they will impress Hatake-sama, she is also a Hyuga, afterall."

Hinata felt overwhelmed by all the attention from the guests. She never realized that they had so many clans in Konoha. As soon as they saw her chatting with her friends, they swarmed her in their attempts at making small talk.

"Pardon me, I think my sister is looking for me," she said, excusing herself from the suffocating presence of Shikamaru's guests.

Hanabi, to her credit, looked like she was expecting her sister to turn to her for help. She stood there, arms crossed, and a smirk etched on her face.

"Don't like all the attention?"

"Don't you start too, Hanabi," Hinata scoffed. "It is obvious that they want something from Hatake's wife, even though I can't possibly understand what."

"You are kidding, right?" Hanabi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hello, Jounin Commander's wife?"

"But why would they think I have any influence on Kakashi?"

"We are talking clans here, neesan. These people have been playing this game since they were old enough to talk. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew that your relationship with Kakashi is amiable," Hanabi explained.

Not everybody thought that Kakashi was a neglectful husband. Afterall, Hinata and Kakashi have been training together a lot and were often seen together in public. Hinata scoffed, now they didn't think that her husband abused her. She only hoped civilians would come to the same conclusion.

* * *

The Nara compound stood amidst the snowy field, a lone islet of warmth in the darkening chill of December afternoon. With the vast expanse of the forest behind it, Shikamaru's house reminded Kakashi of a woodsman's cabin, despite its much too large size. The guards at the primary entrance allowed him in without a word; clearly, Shikamaru wasn't lying when he said that Kakashi would be welcomed.

Copy Nin remembered their recent encounter, right after the meeting. Shikamaru in no uncertain terms had invited him to their clan "party" this evening, which surprised him. While aware of these events taking place, Kakashi never thought he'd be welcomed there, so he didn't bother to attend. Nara Head's personal invitation made it impossible to avoid going, so he resigned to a dull evening full of scornful glares from the other guests.

"Well, I hope the food at least will be good," he muttered, coming up to the gates of the main building.

Kakashi was once again surprised when Shikamaru had personally greeted him at the entrance to his abode. After a short exchange of pleasantries, he guided Kakashi through the underwood that was the Nara garden to a lounge that was filled with people from nearly every clan in Konoha.

"Make yourself at home," the shadow master said turning to leave, before adding, "Hinata, Hanabi and Kurenai-sensei are here too."

That made Kakashi feel significantly better about spending the evening there. He thanked his host and immediately went searching for his wife.

It wasn't hard to locate the most beautiful woman in the room, and soon Kakashi was approaching his wife and the group of her friends who all chatted cheerfully in the corner. Upon his arrival, all conversation stopped. Every pair of eyes was on him at that moment. The whole of remaining Konoha 11, sans Hinata, stared at him as if they didn't expect him to be there.

"Yo," he greeted nonchalantly.

Aside from Hinata's smile he got no reaction from the crowd.

Kakashi felt awkward, but he didn't let their lack of response discourage him.

"You guys don't mind me; I was just going to ask Hinata which table she is sitting at." With those words, the masked man quickly followed his apologetic wife's directions to a relatively big table. With nothing better to do, he secured himself a seat and a drink, quietly watching Hinata and her friends from afar.

"So much for a nice evening," he mumbled, taking a sip. Alone.

Hinata, of course, offered her company, but he didn't want to separate her away from her friends. She already spent every day with him, and as much as he wanted to be selfish, he understood that she needed some personal time with her friends. Not like she would mind if he joined them, but the Copy Nin knew that it would make everything awkward and ruin their gathering.

Kakashi began familiarising himself with the assortment of food on the table, nibbling at deer meat when he heard the brat's voice.

"Why such a long face, old man?"

"Oh, hey, Hanabi-chan," he greeted as Hanabi unceremoniously plopped on the vacant seat near him. "I could ask you the same question."

The girl snorted, "As if it's not obvious. It's boring as hell here."

"Same," Kakashi nodded, pouring himself another glass and taking a small sip. At least the food and drinks were as good as he imagined.

"Why are you not with neesan?"

"I don't want to impose on her time with her friends."

"Same," Hanabi agreed, making both of them sigh resignedly.

"It's neesan's birthday," the girl said after a full minute of them sitting there not doing anything.

"All the more reason for me to stay away," Kakashi replied after a short pause. He sighed again, seeing Hanabi's unconvinced expression. "You saw their reaction when I arrived. I'll just be ruining the party."

Hyuga girl's features softened. "At least wish a 'happy birthday' when everyone is gone," she exhaled, turning towards the food, "I don't think she really cares about presents or anything, just talk to her."

"And I will do exactly that later. But first, why don't we chat a bit more," the man said standing up. "Let's go outside and we can discuss your progress in Lightning jutsu."

Hanabi only grinned in response, readily following her mentor out of the stuffy lounge room.

"So, tell me, how far are you in mastering the technique I taught you the last time?" Kakashi asked as soon as they left the building.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, but there is still this thing I can't figure out," Hanabi replied.

"Show me."

"You serious? We could accidentally burn something."

"That's the part that is most fun, don't you think?" Kakashi slyly responded, making his charge smirk in agreement.

"We need a–" Hanabi was about to remind him that they needed a blade for that when Kakashi pulled out a table knife he misappropriated from the table earlier. He would've given her a real kunai had the guards not taken all his weapons upon his entrance.

"Alright, but if neesan starts one of her lectures because of it again, I'm telling on you," the girl gave in, catching the piece of cutlery thrown her way.

With those words, they found a suitable space and Hanabi performed the necessary hand seals with the knife still in her grasp. Immediately, the dull blade was coated with lightning chakra, and the young Hyuga felt it vibrate in her hand due to the sudden rush of power.

"Looks good to me," Kakashi said, observing Hanabi's display. "Could use more control, but you definitely learned the jutsu. What makes you think you were missing anything?"

"When you showed it to me you threw the kunai," Hanabi replied, remembering how it pierced right through a tree as if it was a piece of paper. "I tried to do the same, but the chakra is gone as soon as the blade leaves my hand."

To demonstrate, she launched the table knife into a nearby tree. As she told, the projectile immediately lost all the lightning and bounced off of its target in a rather underwhelming manner.

"See?"

Hanabi's disappointment was interrupted by a laugh from her companion. She sharply turned to him, incredulous.

"What's so funny?" she asked, a little hurt by Kakashi's reaction.

"It's just that what you wanted requires a high level of mastery over Lightning, and I never expected you to learn it so soon. In fact, what you attempted right now was so complex that it can almost be considered as a distinct technique of its own."

"Really?" Hanabi questioned, surprised. She'd thought it was the same jutsu.

"Yes. Some scholars believe it to be the same jutsu, while others claim that it is a derivative of its simpler form. Regardless, you shouldn't feel bad about not being able to throw chakra imbued kunai. You'll get there in due time with practice."

Despite Kakashi's reassurances, Hanabi couldn't help but feel bad about failing. She spent the whole week trying to learn how to throw the lightning kunai and hadn't progressed at all in her attempts. She heard her companion snicker before she felt a hand ruffle her hair in a manner that's become so familiar to her.

"You never stop halfway, do you?" Kakashi said, a proud smile under his mask. "That's why you are my favorite sister."

"I am your _only_ sister," Hanabi deadpanned, pushing his annoying appendage away from her head. Despite her seeming vexation, she felt warmth spread in her chest from Kakashi's words. "So, are you going to teach your _favorite _sister how to do this or not?"

The Copy Ninja chuckled and led her a bit further into the garden to begin their impromptu lesson.

* * *

Initially Hinata was glad to see Kakashi and Hanabi walk off together. Knowing those two, they were probably itching to escape outdoors for some mischief. That meant that the two of them won't be bored and will have some quality time together. However, when two hours passed and there was still no sign of her husband and sister, Hinata started to worry. Things tended to turn… chaotic when the two disappeared for such a long time. She would know, afterall, she was the one who reprimanded them for burning down the training field or turning their yard into a warzone. So, naturally, when one of the Nara clan members approached Shikamaru regarding the "suspicious activity" in the garden, Hinata immediately knew who were behind it.

"It seems your husband and sister decided that our garden would be a perfect place for them to practice jutsu," Shikamaru commented dryly, turning to her.

All the people who were around and overheard the conversation began whispering among themselves.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru-kun, I'll go get them," Hinata said, trying not to look embarrassed.

"It's fine," the Nara Head waved his hand dismissively, "as long as they are not burning down the trees, I don't think there is any harm. What's a party without a little fun here and there?"

Hinata smiled at her friend gratefully, hoping that the two dunderheads weren't doing exactly what Shikamaru joked about.

Her fears turned out to be misplaced as she saw Kakashi and Hanabi return. Her husband went straight to where she was while Hanabi walked off in the direction of refreshments. She gave a hesitant smile upon his approach, silently pleading that he didn't get into trouble.

"Don't worry, dear wife," Kakashi laughed, making Ino imitate gagging at his endearment, "We didn't break anything or burn down the forest."

Hinata shook her head, a smile still plastered on her face. It's not her he was supposed to apologize...

"Well, I'm gratefult that you didn't," Shikamaru chimed in. "It would've been awfully troublesome tracking you down to get our reimbursement for the destroyed forest."

Kakashi just scratched his head sheepishly, clearly wishing the conversation steer away from his person. Noticing this, Hinata quickly changed the subject, engaging her teacher, Kurenai, into telling them a story about when she was their age.

Kurenai talked in great detail about her generation's teenage escapades, even going to mention Kakashi from time to time. Hinata found herself enthralled whenever that happened, shyly asking for more details about her husband. Ino rolled her eyes playfully at that, an all too knowing smirk on her pretty face.

"Why, Hinata, one would think you asked Kakashi-san to tell about his past, not Kurenai-sensei," the blonde quipped, making Hinata look bashfully at her teacher and then Kakashi himself.

Her husband's awkward disposition didn't escape Hinata's attention whenever she spied a glance at him. Immersed in the warm ambience of their gathering, Kakashi clearly felt out of place. He had his hands in his pockets, no doubt feeling the comforting touch of his beloved Icha Icha book. Hinata gave him a soft smile.

"I think I'll leave you guys for the time being. I'm feeling quite thirsty," she said to her friends, starting to walk towards the table Hanabi was sitting at. "Are you coming, Kakashi?"

Said man nearly jumped, "Of course."

At the table, the three of them, Kakashi, Hanabi and her, were watching Hinata's friends start to separate into smaller groups. Breaking away for some private conversations. Ino-Shika-Cho trio were expectedly together, while Kiba, Shino and Kurenai continued talking where they were left off.

"Happy birthday, by the way," Hinata heard Kakashi's soft voice. He was looking away, clumsily handing her a little book.

"Thanks," Hinata replied taking the gift, feeling strangely excited and shy at the same time.

Upon closer inspection she noticed that it wasn't actually a book; more like a notebook. Its pages were empty and made of traditional _washi _paper.

"I swear, if it is one of your pervert novels…" Hanabi said behind her, before she too had a look at Kakashi's present. "Oh."

Hinata smiled, stroking the crisp pages, feeling the texture – it was obviously handmade. She could see the exquisite binding and cover as well. The notebook itself looked like a piece of art, so finely made it was.

"This is the best gift ever!"

"Really?!" rang two surprised voices from Hinata's each side.

"Really," she affirmed, rubbing her offended ears, though her grin never faded.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it. Obviously, I didn't make it myself, but…"

"I love it!" she interjected happily. "Oh, no, it must have cost a lot…"

"Don't be coy, sis. You are not fooling anyone here; you obviously want this book," Hanabi teased with a smirk.

"Don't worry about the cost. It wasn't that expensive anyway," Kakashi reassured, silently glad that he decided not to include the receipt in his gift.

"Thank you so much!" Hinata stood up and placed a kiss on his masked cheek. "This truly is an amazing gift."

She seemed to realize what she did only after the action was complete, eyes widening in shock. Kakashi sported a similar expression, albeit much more exaggerated compared to his wife. Hanabi groaned as both "adults" turned away from each other, blushing heavily. Not wanting to spend the entirety of the night watching the two send covert glances each other's way, Hanabi decided to intervene.

"Hey, what about my gift?!" she asked, pouting in mock upset.

"Your gift is also amazing, Hanabi-chan," Hinata beamed at her little sister.

Hanabi knew that she was complaining just because, but her neesan's approval still made her feel all fuzzy inside.

"What did she give you?" Kakashi asked, curious.

"None of your business," cut Hanabi, starting to get embarrassed herself.

"Oh, come now, Hanabi-chan," Hinata admonished softly, "your bouquet of flowers was lovely!"

"Neesan!" the little sister groaned, fighting the blush that was threatening to adorn her cute face.

"And don't you make fun of it, Kakashi," Hinata berated her snickering husband. "She picked the flowers herself! The pansies and hellebores were particularly beautiful."

Hinata's remark made Kakashi stop, but not because he felt chastised. He simply was curious where did Hanabi find flowers in the middle of winter.

"There are plants that flower in winter too, you know," Hanabi mumbled in response to his question. "Also, I received some help from Kurenai-san. She has a little greenhouse and I requested her to plant some of the less durable ones there. What's so special about Gray-hair's gift anyway?" she asked in turn, also curious as to how a simple empty book could elicit such a delighted reaction from her sister.

"You remember I like to press flowers," Hinata started to explain.

"It is a whole process and requires special technique and equipment," her little sister commented with a nod.

"One of such equipment is paper to glue flowers onto. You can't use just any paper; it has to be appropriate. This notebook is made of high-quality hand-crafted paper – perfect for my hobby. Not to mention that its design is absolutely gorgeous!" she began gushing over her gift once again, clutching the book lovingly to her chest, before a sudden realization struck her.

"You know," Hinata continued, "your gifts are awesome by themselves... But combined, they truly make the most wonderful of things."

With those words she pulled her confused family in a big hug.

Only when Kakashi and Hanabi pulled away from her embrace did the two of them understand what Hinata was talking about.

"My flowers…"

"… and my notebook…"

Yes, Hinata nodded happily, glad that they understood. She could press Hanabi's flowers into Kakashi's book! That way both gifts would be preserved to cherish by Hinata forever.

"I think it's fitting that your gifts would be so complementary. You two are like two peas in a pod, afterall."

"Hmph," Hanabi scoffed, turning her head away from her good brother.

Said good brother just proceeded to mess her hair once again, chuckling to himself. Their moment of idyll was interrupted soon however, as other guests started to approach the tables. Tired from all the standing, they no doubt came to rest their legs over a plate or two of snacks. As if on cue, the lights dimmed, and a sizeable screen was brought on a makeshift stage at the end of the room that faced all the tables.

Only then did Kakashi understand what was going on. They were about to witness one of the famous Nara shadow plays. The jounin snorted in amusement; their hosts couldn't have prepared a more fitting entertainment. Hinata and Hanabi's excited whispers only confirmed his suspicions, and so Kakashi sat comfortably in his chair, readying himself for the show.

The jounin didn't notice, however, that nobody apart from Hinata and Hanabi was sitting at their table. Hinata looked around, noting how some people preferred to watch standing rather than share the same table with them. Well, with her husband specifically. She searched for her friends but none of them seemed to be present in the lounge, most likely overseeing the performance and making sure everything went well. Her gaze finally stopped on Kakashi himself. He didn't seem bothered at all, so Hinata thought that perhaps he didn't even notice. Nevertheless, she scooted her chair over closer to his, so that they were touching each other, and placed her head on his shoulder.

Kakashi nearly jumped when he felt the pressure on his arm and the scent of his wife's shampoo attacked his nostrils. Almost immediately, however, his shock subsided giving way to an expression of content. He looked at Hinata and the two shared a shy smile, before he took her hand in his own. Absently, they heard Hanabi's sounds of disgust. Although even she stopped her complaining when the play finally started.

It was a truly captivating play, Hinata thought while watching the fantastic legend unfold behind the screen. It was a story about a group of friends from different Nations who traveled the world on a flying bison trying to escape from a banished Prince of another, enemy Nation. One of the children in the group is the Chosen One, destined to save the world from the Fire Nation that started the hundred-year war…

Never in her life did Hinata see anything like that play. The puppeteers' performance was astonishing, it was obvious that the shadows of the characters were created naturally by the puppets. Only the environment and special effects were actually made with the signature Nara jutsu. Expectedly, everyone else was no less impressed by the show. The hall erupted in applause when the last act finished with the Fire Lord's defeat at the hands of the Chosen One, who mastered all four Elements in order to do so.

Needless to say, Shikamaru's party was a success. Konoha clans were able to not only mingle and decide various private matters between themselves, but also had a good time doing so. The atmosphere shifted significantly after the play, with people becoming livelier, discussing lighter topics and generally being more friendly and less suspicious of each other. Perhaps that was Shikamaru's plan – to raise the morale of his allies. Hinata smiled, Naruto would be proud of his friend if he saw all of what the young Nara had done for the village.

Speaking of the young Nara, Kakashi was currently talking with Shikamaru and others. Hinata decided to find Hanabi in the meantime and wait until her husband's business with them is finished. No doubt he was making true on his promise of including Shikamaru in his plans.

As soon as the play finished, Kakashi searched around for their gracious host. There he was, sitting in the corner, chatting animatedly with Kurenai and a few others. Unfortunately, in order to get to him he had to literally pass through the whole room. Bracing himself, he decided the direct approach was inevitable.

"Hello there, Shikamaru-sama," he said as cheerfully as possible, interrupting the conversation, "Kurenai."

Both of them nodded in recognition. Others tried to brush off his presence. Not that discouraging so far.

"Thought I'll join you guys for a moment here," Kakashi continued, integrating himself into their little group with the grace of a felled oak. "Great play by the way."

"Thanks, Ino made all the arrangements," Shikamaru credited his blonde friend.

"Sai helped with the puppets and designing the decorations," the woman proudly added.

Absently nodding, Kakashi pulled his Icha Icha out, as if to begin reading. If luck was on his side, this book will be in Shikamaru's possession by the end of the evening.

"I thought you wanted to talk?" he heard Kurenai ask, the woman's amused tone indicated that she wasn't cross with him anymore.

"You know what they say, the important thing is to take part."

Genjutsu mistress smirked at her comrade's response, there was comfort in knowing that some things never changed.

"In that case, I was telling Shikamaru that Mirai should be fine, and we don't need to go back yet."

Kakashi just murmured in agreement, already seemingly engrossed in the book. In truth, he was just waiting for a perfect moment.

Weirdly enough, after him joining, everyone seemed to pay his group a little more attention. Copy Nin took time observing the guests. Those _adults_ were acting a lot like him and Obito when they were twelve, which was hardly a compliment in on itself, even less so considering how childish they were back in the day. Although he knew that Hinata's friends were capable ninjas and loyal to the fault, it was exactly that immaturity of theirs that made him doubt their trustworthiness in the first place. Shikamaru, however, seemed more poised. The Nara sent curious glances at him from time to time, as if he expected him to approach and now was just waiting for him to start the conversation.

Kakashi had to admit that at least Shikamaru seemed to be like someone who he could have complete faith in.

"So, Kakashi," said Kurenai in her attempts at breaking the ice between her friends, "is there something you wanted? Don't tell me you came here just to read."

"He is probably trying to send a message," he heard Ino say, which made the Copy Nin worry for a moment.

Had they figured him out already? Because that was exactly what he was there for. Fortunately, Kiba was there to save the day once again with his lack of tact.

"He is probably trying to get rid of us by ruining the atmosphere," he grumbled. What was his deal?

'_Ah, yes_,' Kakashi thought to himself, remembering his mother's rather charming personality. Clearly, there were qualities that were inherited.

"Have you ever read it?" he asked instead, ignoring the jab. Noticing everyone's confusion, Kakashi gestured at the small book in his hand. "Have you read Icha Icha, Shikamaru?"

Asuma's former student did not expect being asked such a question. To his credit, though, he quickly recovered. "I only used it to make sense of Jiraya's message once," he replied.

"Oh, yeah, I remember. It was rather embarrassing, wasn't it?"

"Sure was."

"But you know what?" Kakashi continued. "You were _using _the newer sequel, while the one in my hand is the original book," he smiled, mimicking the way Shikamaru emphasized his usage of the book. "Here, take it, I'm sure it will be very _useful_."

Kakashi winked suggestively, handing the stunned Nara his orange book.

"Corrupting my family, I see," he heard Kurenai say, to which said family coulnd't help but blush.

Fortunately, Shikamaru was levelled enough to keep his gift. He looked like he was handed a piece of dung, but nevertheless put the book in his back pocket.

Mission accomplished.

"Oh, look at the time," Kakashi said rather theatrically, glancing at his wrist, "I'm afraid I'll have to leave your company."

"First of all, there is no watch on your wrist," commented Ino, "and second, what the hell kind of conversation was that! Don't tell me Hinata has to deal with… that," she loosely gestured around Kakashi's person with her hands, making Kurenai giggle and her two male students frown.

Kakashi had no answer for the blonde. Thus, he decided retreating was the best course of action. "Have fun! Thanks for inviting."

Relieved, he went outside to meet Hinata and Hanabi. They too seemed deep in the discussion of the play they watched.

"Finally," he heard the brat groan. "Let's head home!"

With those words, the trio went on a leisure walk to Kakashi and Hinata's house, all the while talking about the shadow play.

"Who is your favorite character, Gray?" Hanabi asked. "Mine is the Earth girl, and Hinata's is that broody Fire Prince." The girl made a face at her big sister's choice.

"Hmm… Let's see…" Kakashi replied, thinking. "I think I really liked the Water Tribe girl. She reminds me of Hinata."

Said woman only blushed at his remark.

"Well, at least it's not some jerk Prince."

"Hey, the Prince is a great character," Hinata argued. "His story is that of redemption."

"Redemption-schmedemption… Tall, awkward, a scar on his face – doesn't it remind you of someone else we know?" Hanabi teased, hinting at the only man among the three of them. "Maybe that's why you liked him so much?"

Hinata sputtered incoherently, completely knocked over by her sister's cheek. She kept falling to Hanabi's bait until she was so embarrassed that she silently handed Kakashi her bag of presents and chased after her little sister who was happy to expertly evade her, laughing all the while. The Copy Nin shook his head, his hand automatically going into his pocket to pull the Icha Icha out before he remembered that he gave his copy away to Shikamaru just minutes ago. Resigned, he silently followed the two siblings to their house.

"Well," he muttered to himself, "at least I gave it up for a greater cause."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

**Morning**

A lone figure stood crouched on a branch of a tall pine. Almost completely clad in black, it was impossible to distinguish them from the forest in the darkness of the early morning. Unless the one looking was a shinobi with Byakugan, of course. With that thought in mind, the figure quietly leapt off the tree – no need to risk – the enemy might very well have a Hyuga in their ranks.

The crunch of the fresh snow upon the figure's landing had interrupted the silence, but was quickly absorbed by the surroundings. Even so, the figure stilled, listening in to the dark woods for good measure. Caution satisfied, they strode towards the making of a campfire, glad to finally be able to warm up a little.

As soon as the fire was up, the figure removed their hood, revealing a young face with jet black hair messily falling around their head and face. The man's lone hand hid from the cold under his cape, only to reappear a moment later with a sheathed sword. Resting the weapon aside but near enough on the log he was sitting on, the man could finally relax himself, holding his palm above the comforting flame.

The man allowed his mismatched eyes to close for something other than blinking for the first time in four days, releasing a tired sigh. Surrendered to the bliss, he didn't even notice the feeling of cold disappear, nor did he any longer feel the falling snow landing on his skin. It was as if the whole forest around him disappeared, evaporated much like the snowflakes that hit the fire before him. And the fire was the only thing that remained in his head, surrounded only by the void of his blank mind. It wasn't long, however, until the image started to build back up. This time, there was no snow covering the ground or falling around, nor was there any cold. Instead, the camp was surrounded by lush green of a summer forest, pleasant evening breeze caressing the flames of the campfire and the man's raven hair. And suddenly, the man wasn't sitting alone – there were three others gathered around the fire – he could almost hear their distinct voices, exchanging spooky stories before bedtime.

"_Naruto, I didn't get to the scary part yet, stop screaming." _

Sensei's baritone.

"_But Kakashi-sensei, your stories are hella creepy! Even Sakura and teme are scared._"

The idiot seemed to be born obnoxious.

"_Shut up, Naruto! I'm not scared of some stupid story_."

Even now the man could clearly picture the look of adoration Sakura so often sent his way.

Oh, how stupid he was to reject their love, the man couldn't admonish himself enough. He didn't realize it back then, but he had everything already. There was no need for his foolish quest of vengeance. The boy sharing spooky stories over a campfire lost everyone he loved once. The man who was currently sitting under a pine tree, warming his exhausted muscles on a small fire… That man experienced that loss twice, the second time being entirely his fault.

"_Sasuke!_"

Said man's eyes shot open, the serene picture of a boy who regained his happiness instantly vanished, giving way to the reality of a man who threw that happiness away.

Sasuke lifted his head to the sky, inhaling sharply. Trying to banish Naruto's angry and determined face right before his Chidori collided with his best friend's Rasengan. Sasuke saw the snowflakes closing in from above, but the moisture in his eyes was not entirely due to them. Blinking the tears away, Sasuke let a humorless laugh.

"Look at me, getting all emotional for once."

His friends they still may be, but Sasuke didn't feel like he was much of one to them all these years. It took years being apart from his team for him to start missing them. They were right. Everytime they tried to knock sense into his thick skull, they were completely right. And now Sasuke wanted nothing more to be able to tell them that they were right and he was wrong. But before that, he knew, he needed to atone for his sins. And he will start by helping his friends to free their village from Danzou's dictatorship.

The daylight started to break by the time Sasuke began to realize how therapeutic his exile had been these past months. It was time for him to move. As reflective as his exile had been, it still was exile. He needed to constantly relocate to avoid getting captured. So, Sasuke picked his sword up, put down the fire and got rid of all the evidence that anybody ever was there under that pine tree. Stretching his limbs, he put on his hood and tightened the cape around his shoulders, once again becoming a nameless figure in the dark of woods.

He had Root to shake off his tail.

Sasuke will rest only once everything is done. Perhaps then he could once again sit with his team and tell stories by the campfire.

* * *

**Noon**

Tsunade sat in a spatious gazebo, a small orange book in hand. Her eyes skimmed through the text once more, before she made a note on a piece of paper and pocketed her read.

"That idiot…" she muttered, half amused, half impressed.

"I still don't understand how you ninjas could tolerate this cold," the former Hokage heard a voice behind her.

"It has nothing to do with being ninja," Tsunade replied, turning to the freezing woman who sought her out. "Good afternoon, Koyuki-sama. I thought you'd be busy with curating the research."

The daimyō of the Land of Snow merely smiled, coming closer to the older woman. Tsunade noticed servants trail behind her some distance away. They carried what looked like trays with tea and food.

"There are probably years and years until we can develop technology to overcome the eternal winter," Koyuki Kazahana replied, shivering slightly. "I thought we could have a conversation over some hot tea. Goodness knows maybe it'll warm me up a bit."

Honey-colored eyes shone with merry. "Did you know, drinking hot tea like that increases your risk of esophageal cancer?"

The younger woman let a laugh, shaking her head.

"Please, Lady Tsunade, I would ask you to refrain from mentioning how everything I do can kill me sooner than I would've liked to."

"I only state facts," Tsunade shrugged, inviting her companion to take a seat for their tea. "So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, nothing relevant to my or your duties," Koyuki clarified, "Just a friendly chat while I have some free time."

"You are lucky that the weather is good today," Tsunade said jokingly, glancing at the bright and clear afternoon sky. "Otherwise we'd be talking indoors over a blizzard, like the usual."

"True." Koyuki paused, letting the servants pour the two their tea. "You've been residing here in the Land of Snow for quite some time…" she then began, trying to choose words.

"Finally kicking me out?" her guest asked with a smirk, raising her brow and eliciting another chuckle from the younger woman.

"Of course not! You are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. It's not like you haven't contributed to our country either. We are grateful to you for sharing your medical knowledge with the Snow," the daimyo reassured. "In fact, that was precisely the reason I wanted to speak to you. Only today did I finally realize that I haven't expressed my formal gratitude for your help."

"Please," Tsunade dismissed, "you are endangering your country by allowing me to hide here, so consider us even. Besides, the agreements we've made regarding the development of Konoha and Snow's medicine fields are 'thank you' enough."

It was Koyuki's turn to smirk.

"I knew you would say that. Which is why I didn't bother preparing any gifts for you."

At that, Tsunade let a loud bark of laugh.

The two continued their light banter until there was no more tea in their pot. By this time, the sun had already begun to set, and they reluctantly called their afternoon tea finished.

* * *

**Evening**

The party at Kakashi's house had started wrapping up, with all of Kakashi's friends saying their goodbyes and leaving (Gai offered to walk Kurenai home). Only Hinata's classmates remained, celebrating her past birthday. Apparently, Tenten and others who couldn't come to Shikamaru's yesterday made a point to throw her a surprise party on the next day. They begrudgingly enlisted Kakashi and Hanabi's help, seeing as it was his house they were going to have a party at. Needless to say that Kakashi escaped into his study as soon as Gai and others left.

He hoped to get at least some work done, but it seemed the papers will have to wait. His door opened with a slight creak, allowing his sister-in-law of all people to enter. Hanabi looked almost sheepish, and the door didn't burst open with a bang, so Kakashi assumed there was a reason for the girl's strange behavior.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The girl didn't respond immediately. She came up to his desk and lied unceremoniously on the wood, easily taking up half of the space. Cloudy eyes looked up at him from her position on the desk.

"Nothing."

"Alright," Kakashi said in a tone that told her he was not buying it. "Why are you not having fun with the rest, then?"

"I'm just tired," she replied, averting her eyes.

The jounin regarded her answer for a moment. There was no way she could be tired at 8 pm, but on the other hand she must have been helping Hinata's friends organize the party.

"You know, I don't like big crowds either," he tried to approach from a different angle.

The girl let out a scoff. "It's not that."

"Boys problem, then."

"No!" she shot up. "Why– Uhh, fine, I'll tell you. Just stop spewing nonsense," Hanabi grumbled, before slumping on his desk again. "It's just that neesan has so many friends and, don't get me wrong, I'm happy that she is so popular, but… Seeing them have so much fun together…" she trailed off.

Kakashi knew where this was going, and where it was coming from. Loneliness was a hard burden to carry, he knew from experience. And what can be lonelier than being an heiress of a great clan? In fact, Kakashi did not remember ever seeing Hanabi interact with anyone her age, let alone befriend them.

"You want friends like that too," he said, pulling an armchair from the corner towards his desk beside his own chair.

Her silence as she slipped into the offered seat was answer enough.

"I don't know much about making friends," he continued carefully. "But I do know one thing. One, just one friend is enough. Trust me, I don't have many friends, and I turned out alright."

Hanabi couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, right. You are a model example of an antisocial deviant."

"Hey, I prefer introvert."

"Introvert, my foot," she snorted. "There is only one '-vert' in your person, and that is 'pervert'."

The masked man chuckled, giving her a much deserved noogie. "But seriously," he said, ignoring the girl's protests from under his arm, "you shouldn't worry about these things. You have everything ahead of you. Besides, aren't we friends already?"

He wasn't expecting her to acknowledge it. In fact, he fully expected her to dismiss it as a joke. His goal was to distract her enough until he referred her problem to more competent instances, namely Hinata. To his surprise, however, Hanabi cheered up a little.

"Yeah," she said, smiling, "we are, aren't we?"

Kakashi grinned in return. This girl was something else.

"What do you say if we ditch this party and go outside?" he suggested, nodding towards the window.

"Hell yeah!"

Five minutes later, the two were resting quite comfortably on the roof of his house, gazing at the vast expanse of the night sky. There were no clouds and they could clearly see all the stars that littered the heavens. Every now and then Kakashi pointed at some constellation that he recognized. His talk about the North Star seemed to especially grab Hanabi's attention. Kakashi marveled at how earnestly she listened to his explanations about the axis of rotation and how that made the North Star suitable for use in navigation.

"And if you measure a line equal to about five distances of the leading edge of the Big Dipper there, you can approximately locate the North Star," he said, pointing a finger at said part of the constellation and drawing an imaginary line from its edge towards the North Star.

"And that line points to where is the north? Wow." Hanabi sighed contentedly. "Sky sure is pretty today. Hey, remember how we went to Suna?" she asked, turning to her companion. "Is it me, or the sky was even prettier then?"

"It's because in the desert of the Land of Wind there were no towns," the masked man easily replied. "Konoha is a big village, all the light from the houses and streets makes it harder for us to see stars." He then looked at Hanabi conspiratorily, "You know, I've been to a place where the sky was even more beautiful," he bragged, amused at Hanabi's bewilderment.

"No way," the girl said. Despite her denial, she had already begun nestling herself more comfortably to listen to his tale.

"Oh yes," Kakashi quirked a smile. "It was up north, in the Land of Snow. I was on a mission there, had to save the Princess," he said, earning a snort of disbelief from his companion. "On my way back, I saw it. Streaks of green, yellow, blue, red and all the colors inbetween, painted across the black of the night sky. It was as if the sky itself was on fire."

Hanabi listened to her good brother, trying to imagine the picture he was describing. She felt her mouth stretch in a smile from the sheer awe in Kakashi's voice. It must have been a sight to behold…

"I heard that down to the south you can see it too," the jounin continued, "but it is more of a fiery red than ethereal green like in the north."

Despite the cool of the night and the chill of snow under their backs, the pair lied for a long time, feeling quite comfortable on the roof. Kakashi was recounting stories from his and his team's youth when he heard their guests start to leave. He made a pause and sat up to watch Hinata's friends bid their goodbyes and depart in uneven groups. As if sensing his stare, his wife turned her head, somehow instantly finding him with her eyes.

"What are you two doing here?" Hinata inquired, getting up on the roof herself.

"Oh, neesan, you should sit with us too," perked up Hanabi. "It's so calm here."

The elder Hyuga happily obliged.

"So, what were you telling my sister this time, Kakashi?" she asked, joining them on their spot.

"Why did it come out as if I was doing something bad?" the man replied with an easy smile.

"He was telling me stories of his team. You know, when he was a genin."

"Chunin," Kakashi corrected.

"Whatever," Hanabi conceded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on, what happened after the Yellow Flash kicked your ass?"

Hinata smiled. "Oh, my."

"Minato-sensei kicked all of our asses, not only mine," Copy Nin's felt the need to add. "At the time we got so desperate in our desire to win that somehow Obito made us agree to this ridiculous plan. He proposed for us to swap our clothes in order to confuse Minato-sensei. Obito took my clothes while Rin had to wear his. And I… I ended up with Rin's," he finished, feeling as embarrassed as he was back when he wore that dress.

In hindsight, it wasn't the best idea to tell something so disconcerting to Hanabi, Kakashi thought, already seeing the amusement on the two sisters' faces. In Hanabi's case it shone with a twinkle of mischief, no doubt the girl was filing that information for later use as blackmail.

"Oh, man," she said between poorly concealed snickers, "this is gold!"

"Come on, Hanabi-chan," Hinata was trying to be considerate, but even in the dark Kakashi could see she was smiling too.

"I didn't choose to wear a dress! We drew straws…" he defended, his words falling on deaf ears. "Obito's reaction was similar to yours after it all ended. And Rin blushed so much, I've never seen her so red."

Hanabi went into full-blown guffaws by that point. Hinata sruggled to keep from laughing. It even made Kakashi cheer up a bit.

"And you know what's the worst?" he said, remembering his teacher's reaction. "It was the closest we ever came to winning a match against Minato-sensei. He laughed so hard that he'd lost his guard for a moment. Me and Obito jumped him and I almost managed to land a good hit."

This time even sweet Hinata could hold no longer. She tittered at first, but soon it turned into a feat of giggles and chortles that together with her sister's laughter easily filled the quiet of the night. Kakashi sighed dramatically, but the warmth that had spread in his chest prevented him from regretting anything he said. It was much easier to speak of those distant times now that he was finally at peace with it.

"Sorry, Kakashi," he heard his wife apologize after they were done laughing at his expense.

Sure, they had _only_ been laughing for 5 minutes straight, afterall…

In truth, he couldn't stay mad at them any longer than that, so he supposed it was fine. He tried to change the topic by retelling Hinata about the North Star and the beautiful phenomenon of the radiant sky he witnessed in the Land of Snow. In the end, they all agreed to go and see it together sometime.

The three of them had spent so much time talking that Kakashi didn't even notice Hanabi doze off. The girl was lying between the two adults, a picture of innocence. He snorted, taking off his coat and covering her sleeping form.

"She was probably very tired," he heard Hinata say from the other side. He turned to see her smile warmly. "Thank you," she said, her eyes contentedly gazing back at the sky.

Kakashi wasn't sure if he deserved her gratitude, but he had no heart to voice his opinion. After all, he too felt like there was something special between him and his wife's little sister. He thought maybe it was because of his feelings towards his wife, but even if he didn't like Hinata the way he did, something told him that he'd still get along with Hanabi.

The two remained on the roof, stargazing. It felt like hours until Hinata broke the comfortable silence once again.

"The sky sure is beautiful tonight."

"Yeah," Kakashi replied absentmindedly, remembering Hanabi say something along those lines when they'd just come here. He then averted his eyes to his wife. Something was bothering her, he could tell. "If you wanted to ask me something, you can ask," he said, remembering Minato-sensei's way of opening a conversation.

Hinata chewed her lower lip, before meeting his eyes. "About your team… your team under the Yellow Flash…" she began hesitantly, trailing off. She went silent after that, making Kakashi think she'd reconsidered, before starting again. "Would you tell me about what happened to them?" she said quietly.

It was Kakashi's turn to be silent. He regarded her words out of habit, but quickly dismissed all possible doubts; there was no reason to hide anything from Hinata.

"This is something I haven't told my team," he said.

"Oh, I see," Hinata's face fell, and he hastened to finish his words.

"Not because I did not feel comfortable to share it with them," he said quickly. "I just didn't want them to know what a failure I am. Didn't want to burden them with my problems either. They had enough going on without my past weighing down on them."

And what irony it was when his past came crashing on them without even him needing to talk about it, he thought, remembering the War Obito started.

Hinata watched her husband talk and she could see how he struggled with every word. Really, what did she think when she asked him about his childhood team? He didn't seem to want to stop, though, pushing himself to say more. She wanted to stop him, there was no need to torment himself just to satisfy her curiosity. Nevertheless, she kept silent, selfishly wanting to hear more about his past.

"I suppose even now I'd like to keep some things secret from them. But with you, I feel like I have to tell you everything." He chuckled humorlessly. "I'm sorry for being so selfish. I just…"

"I'm glad you are telling me," Hinata said, trying to smile reassuringly. She truly felt privileged to have Kakashi share his burdens with her. "You shouldn't feel sorry. It was me who asked." It was her who should apologize, her eyes told him.

He smiled, a rueful, but somewhat relieved expression graced his features.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," he let out a heavy sigh, preparing to recite everything from his time at the academy to him getting appointed the jounin instructor of Team 7.

He talked about his father's suicide; his friendship with his future team; Minato-sensei and his wife, Kushina-sama. It was easy to lose himself in the narrative once he'd started. He wanted to keep the insignificant things out, like the way Obito always wore his stupid goggles or Kushina-sama's favorite phrase that Naruto somehow managed to inherit somewhat. But despite himself, he felt like telling Hinata all those insignificant little details that didn't really matter to anyone apart from himself. She never interrupted, never pitied – understanding always shone in her eyes.

By the time he got to the Kannabi Bridge mission, Kakashi managed to calm completely. He'd imagined himself not being able to keep his emotions in check, thought it would be the hardest to talk about his friends' deaths and his own failures. However, somehow, he felt nothing but relief when telling it all to Hinata. Was she what people called a good listener? Because he felt like telling her everything just from looking in her kind eyes.

He remembered everything that happened that day, almost like his memory was in hyperdrive. Every conversation and every action imprinted in his memory forever. Every day since those events he tormented himself by rewinding them in his head, over and over. Now, however, when baring it all to Hinata, it didn't sting as much. He recounted with painful detail the mission and how it went horribly wrong for his first experience as a squad leader. The kidnapping of Rin, their and Obito's argument. Obito's words that had forever defined his own life from that moment on. Their fight and the aftermath; Obito's "death" and him receiving the Sharingan.

Hinata listened to his tale. She resolved to be strong, but she felt tears appear in her eyes not too far into the beginning, when Kakashi informed her of his father's disgrace and suicide. By the time he finished telling her about their mission at the Kannabi Bridge she was openly sobbing. When she heard about the circumstances of Rin's death she pulled Kakashi into a hug. Mourning his losses, even though he himself was mostly able to leave all those tragedies behind.

She knew what happened to the Fourth Hokage and his wife, it was common knowledge in Konoha. Now learning about how close they were to Kakashi, together with everything that happened to him, she couldn't imagine the pain he must've went through as a child and teenager. That kind of trauma could break anyone, yet here before her sat a man who not only was able to overcome all the pain but had it in himself to find enough strength to fight off others'.

She sensed Kakashi wrap his arms back around her. Hinata chuckled mirthlessly.

"Look at me, being comforted instead of providing comfort."

"Who said you are not providing comfort?" Kakashi asked, much too cheerful for someone who just relayed the tragic story of their past. "Time truly heals all wounds. It took me years to come to terms with all of it," he tightened his embrace, inhaling the sweet scent of his wife's hair.

They sat like that in each other's arms for a few more minutes, before the chill of the night and the exhaustion from the day's events had finally caught up.

"Have I told you that I'm relly-really proud of you?" Hinata asked, not wanting to pull away but recognizing that they would freeze soon if she didn't.

"Not really-really," Kakashi imitated, grinning like a child, making his wife roll her eyes.

"Seriously, don't you ever forget that."

"I… thank you?" the masked man said, not knowing how to respond to a genuine compliment out of the blue. "Now, why don't we head back inside?" he suggested instead. "I feel like we've spent half the night on this roof."

The two got down, Hanabi in Kakashi's arms. True enough, it was one in the morning and Kakashi hurried to follow the youngest Hyuga's example and go to sleep. He remembered, however, the pile of paperwork that he'd left unfinished on the desk in his study and groaned. Bidding his wife goodnight, he begrudgingly went to complete his task before going to bed.

Hinata had gently put Hanabi on the bed before going to get ready herself. Once she'd lied down, she heard her sister shuffle at her side. Turning, she saw Hanabi, face grave and mixed with guilt, no sleep in either of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-oneesan," she quietly whispered.

Hinata wrapped her arms around her little sister, who she guessed had awoken sometime during Kakashi's tale about his past. Likely, what she heard shook her just as hard as it did Hinata.

"Shh," Hinata soothed, "it's alright. Let's go to sleep now. We can talk about it tomorrow."

At three in the morning, Kakashi was finally done with his work. Entering the bedroom for much deserved sleep, he was met with a sight of his wife and her little sister, curled up on one side of the bed, sleeping soundly. This time, they considerately left him his half of the bed. Giving a last tired smile, he lied himself onto another side, fully clothed. As much as doing paperwork in the middle of the night was a pain, stargazing with Hanabi and his talk with Hinata were worth it. He felt lighter than ever; having someone listen was clearly just the thing he needed. With those thoughts in mind, he fell into a blissful sleep.

Few kilometers away, a certain Nara was finally able to piece together the meaning behind the peculiar gift of a book he'd received.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17.**

As per usual, Kakashi and Hinata woke up before Hanabi.

The two of them were sharing a comfortable breakfast; meals at the house had long ago become a routine of sorts for the pair. It was still quite early, but the jounin knew that he needed to bring Hanabi back to Hyugas' soon for her tutoring.

"I'll wake her up," he said, standing up from the table.

Hinata nodded in thanks and went about her breakfast.

Twenty minutes later, the masked man and his good sister stood at the porch of the house, ready to depart. Kakashi's never seen a person eat so fast. That's what it was like to hurry to school, he thought as Hanabi gobbled up her toast at the same time while putting on her scarf. Speaking of the scarf, Kakashi recognized it as his own, his old scarf he'd given her weeks ago when she was cold. He'd already forgotten about it, sure that Hanabi would burn it as soon as she got home or turn it into a rug. He never expected the girl to keep that tattered excuse of a cloth, let alone wear it.

"Is that my scarf?" he asked, after they left the house.

"So what? Got a problem with it?" was the girl's succinct answer, coupled with one of her nastier glares.

"Not at all."

They walked in relative silence then, the only sound being Kakashi's whistles. Every now and then his gaze would travel to Hanabi in his scarf, and the whistling became more and more cheerful with each glance. He only realized how annoying he was being when Hanabi voiced her observation.

"Can you stop? It's creepy."

Perhaps a grown man stealing glances at a twelve-year-old girl and grinning like a fool was indeed slightly unsettling, Kakashi relented.

He remembered Minato-sensei telling him that hand-me-downs carried a part of their previous owner's soul. He'd always dismiss it as his teacher's idealistic nonsense. Now looking at Hanabi, he could see that sensei was right, as always. His scarf was a shabby thing, tattered, with permanent spots all over. Yes, like owner like scarf, indeed. What kind of things hasn't that poor article of clothing seen? He trained in it, ate in it, swam in it, used it as a weapon in a fight… Hm, upon closer inspection, it looked much better than he'd remembered it.

"Stop staring!"

Geez, what's up with kids and their loud voices? The sudden assault on his eardrums almost made him substitute himself with a nearest log.

"Sorry," he placated, not helping his curiosity. "Did you do something to the scarf?"

It just seemed to be in a much better state than when he'd used to wear it.

Taken aback by his question, Hanabi seemed almost sheepish. "I asked neesan to sew it up for me," she said, fiddling with the hem of the scarf, before she remembered who she was speaking to. "Anyway, it's your fault that it was in such a bad state!"

Kakashi let out a chuckle, ruffling the brat's hair in the process. "Yeah, guess you are right about that one."

They'd already reached Hanabi's home and Kakashi was about to part ways when his good sister suddenly halted, making him turn back at her.

"Hey, listen," she said, clearly uncomfortable. Such behavior was unusual for the sassy girl and Kakashi instantly knew it was something serious. "I just wanted you to know. Last night… I overheard you talking to Hinata about your past and… I'm sorry," she finished, relieved that she was able to confess.

Kakashi smiled. She really was trying to be nice to him. What do you know, the brat could be civil when she wanted.

"It's fine. I don't mind you guys knowing," he ruffled the girl's hair one last time. "Afterall, you are family."

With those words, the masked man sent the girl off about her business. He himself headed towards Hiashi Hyuga's study. There were some things he needed to discuss with the Hyuga head as part of his job…

* * *

Shikamaru was tired.

He'd spent the better part of the night solving the riddle that was the _Icha Icha_ Kakashi gifted him. The man couldn't simply _tell _him, he had to use a dubious book and even more dubious hints to convey his message. By the time Shikamaru had finally made sense of it all, he was too excited to sleep, so he spent the whole night awake, adjusting his plans and thinking about all the ways he could use the sudden but not at all unwelcome present.

Shikamaru once heard from Sakura that Kakashi used to always tell them to look underneath the underneath. Perhaps those weren't mere words but the man's motto, seeing as he sent him an encrypted message that used Jiraya's perverted novel as a key.

"This is such a drag…"

For what felt like a hundredth time, Shikamaru opened his little book and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. Checking and rechecking everything, he couldn't help but be impressed at Kakashi's foresight. Initially Icha Icha wasn't expected to do well commercially and as such, the first batch was made using cheap low-quality paper, as befits all pulp fiction. It was a perfect key for a cypher: small and compact. The paper had poor durability, so could be easily destroyed by simply throwing the book in water, and most importantly, without the key there was no way to decrypt the cypher.

Shikamaru remembered him and Kakashi working together to solve the message left by Jiraya after his fight with Pain. The Toad Sannin had also coded his message. Now looking at Kakashi's, he could see that the jounin used a similar method of encryption, but with some additional modifications. Instead of just using first words from each numbered page like Jiraya did, it used pages, lines and words. Thus, a message encoded as _25/3/7_ would be 25th page, 3rd line and 7th word.

"Now, why did he think using this would be a good idea?" Shikamaru asked himself.

As impressed as he was, such a method of communication wasn't particularly useful in Konoha. Afterall, what was the point of sending encrypted messages if they could simply talk in private? If he wanted to tell something to Choji or Ino or anyone else, he could very well walk to their home and deliver the message verbally. No, Kakashi would've thought of that. Just what was in that man's mind when he made this cypher?

Shikamaru looked again at the now decrypted message.

"_Hello. On your side. Message hidden. Might be useful. Far away, prison, think something."_

So he was on their side, that much was clear. Shikamaru smirked. Frankly, he suspected it for a long time now. Wasn't hard to deduce when the man's actions spoke for themselves. Especially considering that Hinata's influence on him was notorious among the inner circle of Konoha clans. They even joked in the private of their homes that if you want a favor from the Copy Nin all you need is to approach his wife in his place. Yes, he did what Danzou ordered him without a hitch. Yes, he put a lot of people in prison, including Naruto, but–

Wait a minute.

He put a lot of people in prison. Including Naruto. Shikamaru wanted to slap himself. Of course, that was what the message was about. The code was not for them to use to communicate with each other. It was for them to use to communicate with those who were already imprisoned or will be imprisoned! Then, did that mean that Naruto had a copy of Icha Icha and has been receiving messages from Kakashi all along? Although he supposed that no longer mattered, seeing as Shikamaru planned to finally rescue their blond friend from jail...

Moving on, the 'far away' thing was meant to relay messages to those who are outside of Konoha! The young Nara raked his brain for anyone relevant who was currently outside of Konoha, and only managed to come up with two people. Tsunade-sama and Sasuke. The former was on the run while the whereabouts of the latter were known only to Sakura, and after todays revelations, most likely to Kakashi as well. Knowing Kakashi, he'd probably already established contact with both runaways. Lastly, 'think something' probably meant that he could think of other ways to exploit the cypher.

Well, Shikamaru thought, who would've guessed? The Nara chuckled humorlessly at the irony of it all. Because when they finally win and get rid of Danzou for good, it would be all thanks to Kakashi's porn. Right there and then he vowed to read and completely finish the book once everything is done. He owed at least that much to Jiraya-sama.

* * *

Hinata was excited when she arrived at Shikamaru's place that afternoon. He'd promised something big to announce, and Hinata felt like things were finally starting to move with their Resistance. It was most likely about their rescue operation for Naruto. Moreover, Kakashi was going to finally make contact with Shikamaru, albeit not directly.

They usually came to their meetings in small groups at different times, so that it looked more natural, like friends visiting each other. Today she was accompanied by Kiba and Shino. The Inuzuka man sniffed a couple of times to check if anyone was following them, before nodding all clear and passing through the gates. Hinata doubted that Danzou policed the village that heavily, but it was always good to be extra careful.

The Nara compound was nowhere near as lavish as Hyugas', but as with Hyuga, there was that distinct air of aristocracy about the shadow masters' dwelling. Their guestroom was certainly large, big enough to fit all of the people gathered for the meeting and some more.

Shikamaru was at the head of a small table in the middle of the room, the very image of a leader, no hint of his typical laziness.

"Is everyone present?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

He was about to suggest they waited for Sai, but luckily, the man in question just arrived.

"Sai is here."

Sai and Team 8 weren't the only ones to just arrive. It seemed their artist friend brought a guest.

"Good afternoon, everyone," they heard their mysterious visitor say, eliciting a wave of surprise from everyone present.

Hinata sighed, shaking her head. Despite her husband's foresight, he did a lot of unnecessary things out of sheer caution. It bordered on paranoia sometimes. Even today he reasoned that it would be better to attend their meeting disguised. Thus, meet Sukea, an alter-ego of Kakashi's.

Sukea wore a simple green overcoat and a light brown scarf. With messy hair of similar color as his scarf, he would've looked completely plain, the kind of person to be forgotten as soon as they disappear from your sight. And that would've been the case if not for a minor but very conspicuous detail – he had a pair of purple strips, one going across each eye. Thinking about it, Hinata was sure all of her friends met the man before. From the looks on their faces, some of them remembered. Naturally, everyone was suspicious, even though they did remember him somewhat.

"Haven't we met before?"

"Oh, pardon me," Kakashi in disguise replied with a disarming smile. "My name is Sukea. We did meet before, when you tried to reveal your sensei's face, remember? You were but kids back then. Now I see you've grown into beautiful ladies and fine gentlemen."

His words, coupled with his amiable demeanor made all the girls, and half of the boys in the room blush. Oh boy, Hinata thought, hearing Shikamaru clear his throat.

It's people like that Sukea who made the Nara feel most uneasy.

"Now that we are introduced, how can I help you?" Shikamaru asked, trying to play it safe.

"It's more the matter of how _I_ can help _you_," Sukea replied, his smile never going away.

"It's okay, Shikamaru," interjected Sai, "I invited him."

Shikamaru looked at his artist friend like he'd grown a second head. Inviting someone who they barely knew to a secret meeting was not a responsible thing to do. Well, apparently Sai thought otherwise. His friend looked so calm and assured that Shikamaru couldn't shake the feeling that Kakashi was somehow involved.

Hinata knew that Shikamaru trusted his friends, so she didn't worry.

'_Unlike someone I know_,' Hinata thought, sending a meaningful look her husband's way.

"For any future meetings, please inform me if you'd like to invite someone," he said loud and clear, mild irritation seeping through his normal drawl.

Everyone nodded in understanding. Sai just gave one of his innocent smiles. Which looked rather disturbing, Shikamaru thought, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Now–" he was about to start when he got interrupted by Sukea.

"Sure thing, boss."

Shikamaru looked at the man questioningly.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I just said that I agree with you. You know, about letting you know if we invite someone," their apparent newest member eagerly supplied. "Who knows what kind of nutjobs can come barging in, am I right?"

With those words, he sent a wink at Hinata, as if saying that he still thought them too naïve to trust him. The woman suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"Glad that our opinions align, and that you are already integrating yourself in our group," Shikamaru noted, muttering the last part under his nose with no little sarcasm. "Now that we–"

"Thanks."

Interrupted. By Sukea. Again.

Sending a mild glare their annoying guest's way, Shikamaru cleared his throat rather dramatically. Who said being a leader was easy? Just making these people listen to you for a minute was proving to be a challenge.

"Alright. Now, does anyone have something to say before I sart?" the dark-haired genius asked, sighing once he saw a hand go up. "Yes, Sukea-san?"

Of course, it would be him.

"I just wanted to apologize for interrupting you before," Sukea gave him an apologetic smile.

Some of the people in the room stifled a laugh. Hinata smiled as well, this kind of thing was exactly what everyone needed, a little joke to alleviate the tension.

"Whatever," Shikamaru did not care by that point. "Anyway, I'd like to speak to you about Naruto," he started. Merryment abandoned everyone's faces and as if a switch flipped, they instantly went serious again. "We all know by now that he is being kept in a prison, known as Konoha Strict Correctional Facility…"

Shikamaru proceeded to show them said prison's location on the map, together with its site plan. He'd thought this rescue operation up over a course of several weeks, spending no little amount of time on every minute detail. Everything, from the team composition to the back-up plan was meticulously conceived, so that nothing significant was left to chance. The damn prison was virtually impregnable without prior research, and even with preparation it was extremely hard to break in, not to mention get out.

And the planning was only the tip of the iceberg. They all worked hard on all fronts. Scouted the area around the prison, appealed better conditions for Naruto and tested out the ground for any prison staff who could potentially help their cause. It took Shikamaru weeks to just get his hands on the building's plan–

"Your site plan is incomplete," they heard Sukea say.

Everyone looked questioningly at their new attendee. Shikamaru was almost led to believe that Sukea came here with the sole purpose to aggravate him. His more rational side, however, noted that he should be grateful if Sukea had any information about the prison.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know where you got it from, but these are very good building schematics. Everything that is there is indeed correct," Sukea praised, a hint of being impressed in his tone. "However, the people who got it for you obviously didn't know about the secret passage."

"What secret passage?"

"You see, Konoha Strict Correctional Facility has a secret passage that goes underneath, a narrow tunnel, pretty hard to see even with a Byakugan. It doesn't go very far, but it allows one to enter and leave the facility. Like a back entrance."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. If what the man was telling was true, then they had a significantly better chance to succeed in this endeavor. It all just seemed too good to be true, however.

"And how do you know about the secret passage?" he asked.

It seemed too convenient and too much of a coincidence for their sudden new guest to possess such extensive knowledge about the most secure prison in the Land of Fire.

"Ah, I was ANBU commander long time ago, you see. My team helped put half of the inmates there, so I know my way around."

A perfect answer for a spy, Shikamaru thought.

"Surely, you can understand our suspicions, Sukea-san," he said.

In truth, Shikamaru had half a mind to neutralize the man and deal with him once they got Naruto out. The only thing that prevented him from doing exactly that was the fact that if Danzou already knew about what was going on then they wouldn't be there discussing their plans.

"Of course, boss. However, you already told me this much about your big plan. What prevented me from quietly leaving our little meeting and reporting everything I've heard to Danzou if I were a spy?" he smiled, something about that smile was unsettling. Like a predator sizing up its prey, only to decide that catching it would not be worth the effort. "I really do want to help you."

The Resistance's unanimously chosen leader sighed with resignation, it was no use to back out now. They've been given a chance by Sukea, and they had to try. Even if it was all a ruse to bait them out, the opportunity was too rare to give up like that. Besides, Sukea did make a solid point – if he was a spy, he could've just reported them right away, no need to attract attention asking unnecessary questions.

It was likely that this Sukea guy worked with Kakashi anyway.

"Alright," the Nara Head finalized. "We are going to proceed with the rescue mission. But we need a new plan to adapt for our…" he glanced at Sukea, "new circumstances."

Sukea's smile seemed to stretch wider. Mentally, Kakashi was impressed by Shikamaru's ability to read the situation. He quickly deduced that Sukea's appearance was no coincidence and was correct in thinking that Sukea would be an asset during Naruto's rescue.

And so, they began formulating their new plan. Everyone was participating, brainstorming ideas and repurposing Shikamaru's old strategies. Kakashi was impressed by the group's cohesion. Their conversations flowed smoothly, no one interrupting unnecessarily. When someone was out of thoughts there was another to fill in the gaps. Judging by some of their former acts as resistance that he'd learned about when they discussed their old plans, Kakashi was able to conclude that these people knew what they were doing. Vast majority of their work seemed to be behind the scenes, to do with politics and clan diplomacy. However, there were small field operations too. They were all covert, but still…

They were a bit green of course, but to Kakashi it seemed as almost an advantage. What they lacked in experience they made up with devotion to the cause.

They didn't even bat an eye when Shikamaru announced that Sukea will be not only participating but leading the operation. Whatever skepsis they might have had was cleared by their leader's rational arguments. Sukea was the one most familiar with the prison, as well as the one with experience in infiltration and exfiltration.

"Alright, great job everyone, see you in two days," he said, once everyone acknowledged their plan.

They'd agreed to leave a one-day gap before commencing the operation. Everyone was supposed to rest and prepare during that time. Meeting concluded, people started to leave.

What a day, Shikamaru mused as his friends gradually departed. First, he spends a better time of the afternoon thinking about a way to use the "present" Kakashi'd given him. Then, Sai brings a mysterious ally to their meeting. Now with everyone dismissed, he still had a lot to think through. He wished he could just go to sleep right there and then.

"What a drag…"

"Tell me about it," the Nara genius heard a familiar voice. He'd totally zoned out after the meeting ended, so he was quite surprised that not everyone left. Sukea and, for some reason, Sakura and Hinata had remained.

"You wanted something, Sukea-san? Or should I say Kakashi-sama?" Shikamaru asked, looking questioningly at the both of them.

Sukea's eyes widened in surprise, before he let out a chuckle. Sakura just nodded, as if saying that everything will be revealed soon. Hinata, for her part, had an approving expression on her face. Clearly, both women expected Shikamaru to figure out that it was Kakashi in disguise.

"Ah, yeah," the man smiled, pulling a small book out of his coat pocket. Shikamaru immediately recognized the orange cover. "I suppose you recognize this book?" Sukea/Kakashi said, nodding towards its identical copy that lied on Shikamaru's table.

"Yeah, what about it?" the Nara asked, still cautious. "I managed to get your encrypted message, by the way."

"You know," Copy Nin started, "I was going to explain everything about the code today, but it seems I don't need to."

Shikamaru groaned. Could Kakashi inform him of that before he wasted the whole night trying to solve it?

The smile on Sukea's face became bigger.

"I know what you think. I guess I just wanted to test whether you'd be able to crack the code."

Hinata tried not to smile. It was so like her husband to combine work with messing with other people.

"I presume there are other things you want to tell me, then?"

Sukea being Kakashi explained why Sai had no problem bringing the man to their meeting. The Nara sighed, this time with relief. At least one weight had been removed from his shoulders.

"Correct again," the smile did not leave Kakashi's face. It was slightly unnerving if Shikamaru was being honest. "You should know that Naruto has the book, so we can send a message."

"I figured that much. But is it necessary? We will be coming after him soon anyway."

"Not at all. However, it could be helpful. You see, the warden of that prison is an old buddy of Danzou's. And any buddy of Danzou's who is able to live till old age is someone who shouldn't be underestimated. He has every single member of prison staff under heavy scrutiny. It's impossible to pass messages to Naruto by conventional means. Using the book as means to communicate, we were able to learn that the warden changes Naruto's cell every now and then. Sort of a trick to prevent him from getting rescued."

"You think they will change his cell in two days?"

"Only the warden decides when to switch his cell, and the pattern so far seems random if anything," he shrugged. "However, there is one thing that is always constant in this scheme, and that is the medic who administers Naruto a dose of tranquilizer each time they move him to a different cell," Sukea lifted a finger as if to emphasize the importance of the point.

Shikamaru did not need to be a genius to see where this all was going.

"And I presume the medic is someone you planted there."

"You are on fire today." Kakashi replied, giving him thumbs up. "Yes, the medic is on our side. They would be able to fake the tranquilizer when Naruto is being moved, so that will give him a good opportunity to escape to the courtyard from where we will pick him up and escape together as planned."

"That way we won't have to search for his cell," Shikamaru finished, remembering that the maximum-security block of the prison was protected against Byuakugan due to the sheer amount of suppressive seals in it. If they proceeded with their original plan, they'd have to look for him manually. This tranquilizer ruse would really help them out. The courtyard would provide a perfect meeting point as the secret passage they'll be using leads to a place just outside it.

"What about the guards?" Nara asked. "Tranquilier is not the only precaution they use. As far as I know, they also suppress his chakra. The place is full of guards, and Naruto will most likely be chaperoned by at least a couple. I doubt that he could deal with two trained guards without his chakra."

"Ah, that's a good question. Allow me to explain each point separately. First off, Sakura here," he gestured to his pink haired companion, "has revealed to us that chakra suppression could be overcame with a certain booster medicine of Tsunade's creation. Although it is a very fascinating tale on its own, I'll be skipping on the details. Basically, the drug makes one's chakra unstable and causes its uncontrolled release into the environment. Since Naruto has loads of it, the chakra suppressors put on him will rapidly degrade under the highly labile Kyubi chakra that is made even more unstable by the medicine. Before you ask if its dangerous," Kakashi raised his hand, correctly predicting Shikamaru's thoughts, "yes, it is very dangerous. In fact, it can very well kill him if it's let to act fully. Which is why it is important to administer the antidote once Naruto will rendezvous with our rescue party. The drug has a relatively slow onset to surprise the guards and last for a long time, so it gives us a window for a rescue therapy."

Shikamaru turned to Sakura, who until this time was quietly observing their conversation. He did have a couple of questions for Tsunade's apprentice.

"Can't your medic administer the antidote right after your drug gets rid of chakra suppression?"

"No, the antidote does not neutralize the drug per se," the pinkette replied. "What it does is compete with the booster drug for receptors on tenketsu points, preventing the drug from activating them. It has a very rapid onset of action, so unless you want Naruto to be completely chakraless in a fight it is better to administer the antidote after the fight is over."

"Are you completely sure about that chakra boosting drug?" the tactician asked, not really following all the receptor competition part.

He wasn't particularly comfortable with the idea of putting his friend's life in such danger. There were multiple things that could go wrong with their plan, and the Nara genius didn't want to make things even worse. Why didn't Sakura mention anything during the meeting, when everyone was present?

"Aside from the fact that it's Tsunade-shishou we are talking about, whose competence I am sure nobody here would dispute, I think we are in no position to be picky here," Sakura said sternly. Seeing as her reply wasn't really putting their leader's mind at ease, the kunoichi added, "Look, if it makes you feel better, I can vouch for the drug's quality. Shishou spent years developing it, and I spent weeks learning to prepare it. The details of its pharmacokinetics and the science behind its formulation are too complex for you to appreciate, so trust me on this one. Besides, Naruto already agreed to the plan. Also, considering his regenerative capacity and rapid metabolism, if anyone can survive the full extent of the drug's action it is him."

"Right," Shikamaru said, "I almost forgot that somehow you can communicate with Naruto. But I'd rather not have him suffer the full duration of that medicine, if possible."

Everyone in the room nodded. That much they all could agree about.

"Moving on to the guards," Kakashi continued. "The warden of the prison himself will supervise the transfer."

"I had a look at the prison with my Byakugan," Hinata chimed in. "While doing so I caught the warden walk into Naruto's block. We think he personally escorts him into his new cell."

"Well I'll be damned," Shikamaru let out a soft whistle. "You propose we take him hostage."

"I don't know what to say, great minds think alike," Kakashi grinned. "All we need is to disarm him and make sure he can't give out orders. That prison, despite being the most secure prison in the country is still manned with average run of the mill ninjas. The idea is that the prisoners will pose no threat, and nobody will be stupid enough to attack it with a large force, so there is little need in wasting elite troops on boring guard duty," he explained. "The one meager squad of Root operatives stationed there will not be a problem for us when Naruto is freed. Besides, Root shinobi may be dangerous, but one thing I learned from my days in black ops is that they are completely harmless with their command out of the picture. They won't touch us once they see that we have their leader."

Shiamaru wasn't sure calling Root "completely harmless" was correct, regardless of their commander's presence. However, Kakashi's plan did sound reasonable. Dozens of regular mooks and a squad of Root against their team plus Naruto was as good the odds as they would get. Depending on Naruto's state they could storm the gates on their way back, simply use their hostage to leave or even use the same secret tunnel to quietly escape.

There was one problem with this plan, however.

"How do we make sure we time our act exactly when they are changing Naruto's cell? You said it yourself that there is no pattern."

Afterall, their plan had any at all chance to work only if Naruto was being moved _at the same time_ they infiltrated the prison. Sukea seemed to realize that too, for his face turned serious, abandoning its customary aloof smile.

"There is no way to ensure it 100%," he offered honestly, confirming Shikamaru's suspicions.

"That's not good enough…" the Nara cut, stroking his chin. He really ought to grow a beard, he thought absently, before focusing on the task at hand.

How could they force the warden to move Naruto's cell without making it obvious? Kakashi could suggest it to him, or even order, but that would be too risky since he'd be the one responsible when Naruto escaped. Danzou would surely suspect something if Naruto escaped on the same day Kakashi ordered him moved to another cell. No, they had to appeal to the warden himself.

"I think I have a plan," Shikamaru said suddenly, smiling despite himself. "It is risky, but I think it's the only way to ensure that the warden acts."

"It can't be worse than secretly killing the warden and bribing his twin brother to take his place and order Naruto transferred," Kakashi supplied encouragingly, accompanied by Hinata's giggle.

"No, it's– What?" the Nara strategist was confused. Where the hell did that come from?

"Nevermind him," Sakura waved off, urging her friend to continue, "he just tends to fool around when he is with Hinata-chan."

"Whatever… So, as I said, it is risky, but I'm sure it can work," Shikamaru continued. "I suggest we send our dear warden a letter, warning him that Naruto is going to be bailed out. Anybody would take precautions in that situation, so warden would surely move Naruto as soon as he learns of the threat."

"Hmm"–Kakashi contemplatively rubbed his chin, mirroring Shikamaru's own movements not so long ago–"that can definitely work. But we still don't know the exact time he'll be doing it."

"True, but it is not necessary. You see, the warden will get the letter the exact time we'll be proceeding with our plan."

"Hah," his companion smirked. "He would most likely order to move his cell as soon as he finishes reading that letter."

"That gives us a reasonable approximation for when to act," Shikamaru finished. "But as I said, it is very risky. He won't just transfer Naruto, but order a complete check up on everything, including the secret passage. Our window will be narrow, so we have to make sure every minute counts."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

"Our whole strategy relies on warden's predictability and our own skill. Granted, our assumptions are pretty solid, and you have me as part of your rescue squad," Kakashi said with a completely serious face, "I'd say we have good chances of success."

Shikamaru couldn't help but snort at the comment.

"Your husband sure doesn't suffer from modesty," he said, turning to Hinata.

"I know," was the woman's only answer.

"He may sound arrogant, but Kakashi-sensei is anything but," Sakura defended. "It's just his way of alleviating the mood."

"Well, I think we are done with planning," Shikamaru finally concluded their meeting, too tired to deal with the older man's shenanigans. "With your permission I will be going to get some much needed sleep."

With final goodbyes their group disassembled.

* * *

Hinata was at home, quietly reading one of the numerous books in Kakashi's study. Or rather, trying to. The upcoming operation was all she could think about.

They were finally going to get Naruto out of the prison.

After a full year, she was finally going to do something for a person whom she held so dear. Hinata realized that they couldn't do anything before, couldn't act sooner, but disappointment still weighed on her whole being. How could they spend a whole year gallivanting around while Naruto was held prisoner on some godforsaken island in the middle of a volcano?

So what if Konoha was rebuilding after the war. So what if they all were neck deep in problems and grief of their own. They still should've realized sooner that there was no way of lawfully getting Naruto out of there. Instead of wasting all that time on appeals before the council and cour hearings, they should've taken matters in their own hands and bailed him long ago.

She understood that they probably only had one chance at this. She knew that Shikamaru and everyone else including Kakashi were doing their best to make it work, that they had to make sure their attempt counted. They'd all been diligently gathering information, preparing for the day they finally get Naruto out of the prison. She and her team had personally conducted reconnaissance on prison grounds. That was when they learned that Byakugan couldn't see through the high-security block. Sasuke helped too. From his reports, Kakashi was able to learn of the least patrolled areas and design the safest route for them to travel by.

Why did she still feel like crap, then? Hinata was afraid that she knew the answer. Deep in her heart, she always knew that her disappointment had little to do with their inaction.

She remembered those first days after Naruto's imprisonment. She'd been worried sick, couldn't even eat or sleep properly. But weeks passed, and the worry was replaced with resolution. She was positive that they will rescue him, and for that she had to be stronger. So she trained, expanding her abilities and honing her skills. But as her Byakugan's power increased, as it became more sensitive and its range expanded, she'd realized some very important things.

Her love for Naruto was ebbing, and Naruto didn't love her in the first place. The latter had been fairly clear to her for a long time already, since he never responded to her confession during Pain's attack. Instead, it seemed he simply chose to ignore it, pretending like nothing happened between them. Weirdly enough, it didn't hurt that much. What shook her the most was the former realization.

She no longer loved him.

Naruto was her first and only crush. She remembered their first meeting when they were little kids. He was like a ray of sunshine after a long storm. With his honest ways and lively attitude, it was akin to a breath of fresh air for the young heiress. He never failed to brighten up her day, yet she couldn't find enough courage to do the same for him. She'd seen how he'd been ostracized, an orphaned boy, shunned because of what was imprisoned inside of him. All it took was to approach, to reach out, and surely he'd feel much better with a friend by his side. If only she was brave enough to become such a friend back then, when he had no one. To tell all the adults and father to stuff it, that it was wrong to isolate a child based on their misplaced hatred… Things could have been very different if she acted instead of quietly dreaming. Now that Naruto was a hero, that he had people's love and acceptance, what use was her infatuation?

That day after her training, not long before her marriage to Kakashi, another thing had become clearer to her. She didn't deserve Naruto. Couldn't possibly, after everything that happened. She couldn't stand by him when he needed it the most, what right did she have to ask for his love in return? It hurt at the beginning, but over time she felt as if a huge weight was removed from her shoulders. She'd been carrying that guilt for all these years without even realizing.

As if understanding all of that, Hinata's subconscious started to give up on Naruto. Little by little it hurt less and less that her feelings were not reciprocated; the familiar fluttering in her belly was no longer there when conversations steered to the blond. Instead, a sinking feeling of disappointment shrouded her heart. Disappointment on herself, on how easily was she able to let go of her crush, and how relieved she felt when the affection she held for him transformed into friendly love. It was all very confusing to her back then, but now she knew with utter certainty that she no longer had any romantic interest in Naruto Uzumaki. She couldn't help but feel bad, however, that it didn't affect her that badly.

"It's so silly," she all but whispered under her nose.

"What's so silly?" she heard a familiar voice.

A smile crept on the woman's face, despite everything.

"I was just thinking about Naruto," Hinata said, deciding to share her thoughts with Kakashi. He was honest with her about his deepest troubles, now it was time for her to repay his trust. "Are you hungry by the way? Dinner is ready."

And just like that they slipped into a familiar routine. Over the meal, Hinata tried her best to explain everything on her mind to the man that she shared a roof with. As always, Kakashi offered no words of sympathy, no empty advice left his lips. He just listened, and the Hyuga knew he was doing his best to understand. That was what she liked about the man, she thought to herself after finishing her tale and watching him sit there with a lost expression on his maskless face.

"I… I don't know what to say. That got to be the most… the most…"

"Weird? Silly? The most stupid thing you've heard," she supplied, exasperated with herself.

"No," he dismissed offhandedly. "For lack of a better term I will just say that it's the most Hinata thing I've ever heard you say to date."

"What?"

That was unexpected.

"You know, I think only you could feel bad about not feeling bad," he concluded. "If you feel guilt, you feel guilt. If you don't, then you don't. The fact that you are feeling bad about all of this means that you are a good person."

Warmth had spread in Hinata's chest at Kakashi's simple statement. Naruto wasn't the only man she didn't deserve, she thought. Hearing his chuckle, full of mirth, she felt all her bad feelings dissipate. It seemed that today was a day of dawning of delayed revelations, since she felt the same emotions around the man before her that she'd felt around Naruto not so long ago. The difference was that what she felt now was much stronger. Apparently, she did fall in love with her husband sometime after their marriage. Admitting that in her head made it even more real.

"Are you alright? Hinata?"

Said woman returned back from her musings to a sight of a slightly worried Kakashi. It was another thing she adored about him, his ineptitude at reading the mood.

"Never felt better," she grinned.

Her feelings were complicated. Their current situation, and the situation in their village was more than complicated. However, one thing was clear to Hinata. She would never give up on Kakashi Hatake as much as she'd never allow him to give up on her.

Later that night, Kakashi wondered why his wife insisted to hug him before going to bed. Left to finish his paperwork with her touch still lingering on his shoulders, he couldn't even shrug them in his customary show of confusion, too afraid the warm feeling will disappear if he did.

* * *

**Even though it is a bit late, but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18.**

It was the day.

The group had long since fleshed out every part of their plan to rescue Naruto and were on stand-by at their designated location. Everyone understood what was at stake. Not only Naruto's freedom but everyone else's too. Naruto is the Hero of the Hidden Leaf; people will rally to his call. His mere presence on the battlefield could be enough to tip the scales in their favor, and that not including his power as a ninja. Notwithstanding, their reason for saving Naruto was a much more personal one. Naruto was their friend, and him spending even a day in prison was unacceptable, much less a year.

They couldn't prevent it, though. Naruto and Sasuke could barely stand when they arrived to Danzou's Konoha a year ago. The only reason Sasuke didn't end up behind the bars was that Kakashi suggested him to wait a safe distance away from the village before they entered – the Uchiha avenger was still considered a criminal there, so his friends wanted to clear things up with authorities before letting him in. It was when the subsequent attempt to rescue Naruto during his transportation failed did Kakashi understand the direness of their situation. Once he was delivered to prison, there was no way of getting him out unless they wanted to storm it with an army.

Kakashi glanced at his group. Everyone was excited. Understandable. Considering the fact that as soon as Naruto gets out Danzou will be forced to act. They will be under heavy scrutiny from Root and some of them will probably get arrested and interrogated, but they were willing to pay the price. It was likely that the next few days will be the hardest for their Resistance. They still lacked manpower, as even the biggest and most powerful clans in Konoha combined still provided less numbers than all the minor clans and non-clan ninjas. Add to that hundreds of highly skilled Root and you'll pretty much get the picture.

They absolutely _needed _to get Naruto out of there. If not for themselves then for their loyal friend who deserved none of what happened to him for the past year. Once their jinchuuriki comrade is back to his prime condition, he singlehandedly can stop this whole mess Kakashi started. Such were the thoughts of everyone present.

Hinata looked around at their small group hidden in the forest near the volcano, their faces concealed by identical masks, before turning back towards the direction of the prison they were about to bust in. Unlike the high security section, the Warden's office was not shielded from her Byakugan, giving them a perfect opportunity to know exactly when to proceed.

"He is reading the letter now," she said, focusing on the warden through the wide window of his office. It wasn't that hard to see through the volcano and the prison walls, and Hinata thanked her training for that.

"Roger that, keep watching."

Sukea, or rather, Kakashi, was assigned as their team leader. Despite him being virtually a stranger to everyone except Hinata and Sai, he had seamlessly integrated himself in their group. It didn't seem to require much persuasion for most of them, such was their trust in Sai and Shikamaru's judgement. The fact that they were pretty desperate in their intention to rescue Naruto also helped.

"He stood up, I think he took the bait," Hinata followed the warden's movements. The man seemed to be giving orders. "He took two ninjas with him, Root operatives."

"Looks like it's time," they heard Sai's determined voice. The ex-Root had already removed all his drawing equipment. One of the downsides to having unique skills was that they easily gave away one's identity. They were committing treason, and therefore had to remain unrecognized.

Their commander nodded, and the five of them immediately leapt into action.

"_You guys copy?_" Hinata heard Ino's voice inside her head, along with everyone else's affirmative responses.

The forest and the mountain landscape before them changed into complete darkness once they entered the secret tunnel Sukea told them about. Well hidden, it had the same protective seals as those placed on the high-security block. With everyone else inside, Hinata had lingered at the entrance, to monitor the warden's movements.

"_Our medic has entered the office._"

"_So far so good,_" they heard Sukea's comment as their group sans Hinata advanced along the dark corridor. "_You sure you can maintain the connection?_"

"_Please,_" Ino scoffed, or rather, mentally scoffed. "_I sent a telepathic message to the entire freaking Shinobi Alliance. This is nothing in comparison._"

Kakashi-slash-Sukea smiled, Shikamaru had chosen the team composition well.

"_They are about to enter Naruto's block,_" Hinata reported once again, updating them on the situation once they made it to their destination.

Because she couldn't see through the tunnel she had to go in the last, right after she is sure that their warden is headed to Naruto's block.

"_And we should already be in our position_, right?" Tenten clarified in the meantime.

It was clear that the girl was nervous about their operation. She'd asked a dozen questions during their trek to the prison, and now that they had nothing to do but wait, the worry seemed to gnaw at her again.

Kakashi nodded. "_And now we wait._"

Everything was up to their medic and Naruto now.

The oppressive aura around Naruto's cell struck Shizune's whole being as soon as she came near. The seals, both on the cell and its prisoner were powerful, and they did their job well. Perhaps too well, the woman thought, as the weakening spell once again took hold of her chakra, blocking any connection she had with her inner power.

"Oh, hello, miss medic," the prisoner's voice, uncharacteristically lively for someone who'd spent a whole last year migrating between identical boring cells in the most hopeless prison in the Land of Fire. Then again, it was Naruto they were talking about, so she should have gotten used to his seemingly unending optimism by now.

It wasn't like he didn't have any entertainment in here, the woman thought, noticing him put a bright orange book away inside of his pocket. She was going to kill Kakashi after this all was over. She couldn't deny though, that using the code was much safer and easier than trying to convey messages verbally. Every time she needed to pass Kakashi's message she only had to sneakily show numbers with her fingers and Naruto would be able to translate them. This was how he was able to learn that they were going to bail him out today.

With two Root operatives at either side, Shizune began administering the false tranquilizer. She doubted they understood the difference between the regular IV injection and a subcutaneous one she was about to administer now, but still tried to conceal the process with her body. Who knew if these Root had any medical background? She wasn't taking any chances.

As soon as she was done, they took Naruto by the armpits and dragged his prone body to a wheelchair. At least he could fake unconsciousness, the medic noted, relieved.

The group of four plus their prisoner silently strode towards his new cell.

"Once the prisoner is secured, I want all available agents to guard this block," they heard the warden. "I told you I needed more people, Danzou," he cursed under his nose, eyes set on the way through the dark corridor.

"What of the other guards," asked the Root to Shizune's left.

"Don't tell them a word. If the enemy is so bold as to send us warning letters, then the fewer people know the better," the warden explained. "They are useless anyway."

As disconcerting as the warden's faith in his staff was, the booster drug should have taken its effect by now. Shizune was about to check their prisoner's state herself, when she sensed a large burst of chakra from Naruto. The drug had finally taken its effect.

A flash of red and his binds were no more, the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails standing up from the wheelchair. Apparently, even after a year of inactivity Naruto's power was overwhelming, as Shizune felt the heat of the Kyubi chakra roll off of him in waves.

"What's up," Naruto said, face as smug as any other man who was about to escape from prison.

Immediately the two Root shinobi went after him. Shizune could see from their moves that their coordination was perfect. However, when fighting one of the most powerful shinobi in history, teamwork alone won't cut it. Their synchronized attacks were easily repelled with a swift motion of dense chakra, taking a form of a beastly paw. With his next attack, the blond ended their short battle. When your opponent could send people crashing to the wall without lifting a single finger, it was bound to be unfair.

"Medic!" they heard the warden's bark. "Why is he not unconscious?"

"You sure you wanna fight, gramps?" Naruto asked instead, looking at the unsheathed sword in the warden's hands. "I mean, I just beat your bodyguards…"

"They were not my bodyguards," the warden said before lunging towards his enemy. Surprising the jinchuuriki, old man dodged Naruto's attack and managed to land a blow of his own.

"Not bad, gramps," Naruto admitted, the cut on his injured arm already starting to heal itself.

Shizune noted with frustration that despite his age and idlesness, warden of Konoha Strict Correctional Facility still possessed much of his shinobi instincts. He positioned himself so that Naruto was between him and her. Of course, he thought that Shizune was his ally, but his mistake did them no good – were she by his side she could sneak attack and end the fight. Now, however, she would have to rely on Naruto.

Normally, the jinchuuriki would have no trouble dealing with most enemies, even short on one hand. But this time he was running against a clock, and he must keep that in mind. Having rested well, Naruto was in a much better shape than he was right after the War, but his condition was quickly deteriorating under the effects of that drug. Shizune didn't know if the warden realized it, but so far, he's been making things most difficult for them.

"If you are able to use your chakra then that means…" the warden's eyes widened in realization. "You!" he yelled, turning a hateful gaze towards the medic, "What did you do?"

"Nothing wrong," Shizune answered, resolute. "Naruto, stop playing around and finish this!"

"I knew something about you was fishy," the jailer heaved his sword, taking a defensive stance.

The murky underground network of the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility was underwhelmingly small. Whatever few tunnels there were to confuse them had been successfully ignored by Kakashi. Leading their group of five right under the prison's courtyard was easy enough. Until they heard Hinata's warning, that is.

"_Enemy ahead! Root, two._"

"_Know about us?_" he questioned, glad that Hinata had caught up to them in the tunnel. She couldn't see anything outside, but she was at least able to warn them of any upcoming enemies _inside_ the passage.

"_Not sure. Doesn't seem like it._"

Nodding in affirmative even though everyone could hear his mental response in their heads, Kakashi signaled to prepare for confrontation.

It wasn't hard to dispose of the patrol. However, they were about to be discovered anyway. In about a minute the other guards will notice that no one was coming out of the tunnel and will go to investigate. If they didn't act now, they were going to lose advantage.

"_Where is the next patrol right now?_" he asked.

"_No one's inside._" Hinata reported. "_The tunnel ends in about sixty meters_."

If anyone was waiting outside, Kakashi was relying on his sense of smell to detect them. If not, then they had to take a risk exiting the passage.

"_Proceed carefully. We don't know if anyone's waiting at the _entrance."

With every cautious step they took, Kakashi took a deep inhale, sniffing the stale air for any foreign scents. When they were nearing the end, his nose caught two new signatures.

"_Two enemies ahead, right at the entrance_." Confirming his suspicions, Kakashi urged the group ahead. "_We must attack before they realize something is wrong._"

When they were where Kakashi approximated as right below their enemies, Copy Nin used his Earth release jutsu to ambush them. The two Root ninja from the second patrol had no time to react as the Copy Nin appeared from underneath and slit one's throat in a single swift movement. The second enemy stood further than Kakashi expected, and that mistake would've cost him his life had Hinata not interfered. Almost immediately after Kakashi's initial attack the woman followed out to cover his back. Gentle Fist repelling what would have been a fatal attack, Hinata took out the second opponent as her other teammates appeared from below.

"_What now?_" Tenten's question was expected by this point.

"_We wait_."

From the corner of his eye Kakashi saw Sai and Ino already begin disposing of the bodies. He doubted that more than two patrols were assigned to monitor the secret passage, considering the prison's shortage on elite guards. They were safe to wait there; regular guards won't notice them even if they tried.

Hinata was about to update them on their perimeter situation when a loud rumble disrupted the quiet of the prison. They all turned towards the high security block and were surprized to notice that a chunk of its wall was missing. Surprised and very much glad, for that meant one thing…

"Naruto," the Hyuga muttered, the name slipping from their telepathic communication.

As she said that, the sirens went off.

Sure enough, a Kyubi-chakra coated figure jumped down into the courtyard from the hole, followed by a blonde woman. The pair immediately started running towards the secret passage. Hinata informed them that they had the warden as well.

All was going smoothly so far. The fact that grated on Kakashi's instincts. When the two groups had finally reunited, Naruto opened his mouth in a characteristic for himself manner.

"Hey guys, long time no see," he said, dumping the warden unceremoniously on the ground beside Ino. Meeting his saviors, Naruto wondered who could be behind the masks. One thing he knew, though, sensei was among them. "Hi, Ka–"

"Quiet!" Kakashi hissed. "You want them to know who we are?" After Ino included Naruto and Shizune in their telepathic conversation, Kakashi allowed himself to smile, "_Good to see you too_. Sorry we couldn't come earlier. _Shizune-san, hope you aren't going to kill me._"

"_Oh, you bet I am_," the woman replied. Everyone looked quizzically at the blonde medic.

"_That's Shizune-san!?_"

"_You didn't even tell them that your medic is me?_" Shizune asked, fixing her wig. Blonde hair rather suited her if she were being honest.

She couldn't finish her thought when they heard the tunnel collapse. Once again, the group ascertained that they were in good hands. Sukea predicted that the secret passage was a one-way ticket, stating it was a common practice to block exits during prison breaks.

"_We have company, guys_."

Not even a second after those words left Hinata's mind, Root operatives landed from the prison roof, surrounding their group in a wide circle. As if it wasn't bad enough, the rest of the regular guards began swarming to their location from all sides.

"We have your boss!" Naruto yelled, gesturing towards the prone body in Ino's arms.

Their enemy's response was to bombard them with fire jutsu. For a few moments the sound of prison siren was shrouded by the booming of explosions. Everyone ducked to different places.

"_Guess they don't care about the hostage,_" Kakashi admitted his miscalculation. He was sure they'd be at a loss and won't pose much of a threat, but these Root agents didn't hesitate at all. "_Is everyone alright?_" he made sure, dodging a particularly nasty looking projectile and sending a kunai of his own at the closest Root shinobi.

Their enemy's attack did not harm anyone, but it achieved its purpose – his team's positioning was ruined.

"_Oh, shit,_" they heard Ino's voice. "_Our hostage is dead._"

Kakashi's gaze flickered to the warden's charred and undoubtedly dead body before returning back to the battle. "_It's fine, we can proceed–_"

"_Oh, shit,_" Ino repeated, her tone bordering on hysterical. "_I lost Naruto's antidote!_"

"_What! How?!_" Tenten's screech echoed in their heads.

"_Don't panic, Tenten-san,_" Kakashi called, taking another quick look at the Yamanaka. "_That attack burst the injection vials._" If broken glass and spilt liquid scattering all over her clothes from Ino's torn pouch was any indication. "_We still should have Hinata's vials,_" he reminded, ducking under enemy's swipe and landing a powerful reverse kick at their head, sending them flying.

The fact that their fight continued and there was no sign of it ending any time soon worried everyone.

After the Root's initial attack, Hinata and Naruto ended up separated from the rest. Together, they were fighting through what felt like an army. Somehow, she didn't feel like they were struggling as much as the main group, whom the Root squad was putting all their focus on. Then again, they didn't have Naruto.

The Nine-Tails jinchuuriki was waving the guards away like mere flies, each oncoming enemy facing the opposite side of the beastly chakra. Only one hand or not, Naruto could make up for it with his Kyubi's.

"_Hinata-chan, is that you?_" suddenly rang in her head. Kakashi had been giving out orders when Naruto decided it was time to start conversation. She almost missed Ino informing that she lost the medication.

"_Yes,_" was her curt reply. Hinata had better things to do than talk right now. Like fighting for her life.

Deflecting enemy's sloppy attack, she sent them flying with a direct hit to the chest. Fully prepared to fight whoever was sure to come at her next, she turned around, only to see the majority of the prison guard backing away in fear. Accepting defeat was easy when you faced someone like Naruto. The shock on their enemies' faces was all the proof she needed to ignore them in favor of helping others.

"_Naruto,_" she heard Kakashi say, "_stop playing around and help us get you out of here._"

As if on que, the blond jinchuuriki turned away from the cowering guards and joined Hinata to aid his saviors in their battle with Root. He tried to ignore that his body was becoming weaker by the minute – he wasn't about to spend a day more in a stupid prison.

Meanwhile, Hinata could see that both sides were fighting at their limits, even Kakashi's chakra seemed drained. The ravaged battlefield around them was a testament to their opponents' strength. The fact that there were only two dead Root shinobi ascertained that impression.

Naruto jumped into the heat of the battle head on, but unlike their fight with prison guards, the Root agents managed to keep up somewhat. A dozen of them left against the six of intruders, they could delegate their reserves to deal with the Kyubi.

It seemed the seriousness of the situation had finally dawned on Naruto when he started to feel his chakra rapidly and quite painfully leave his body. "_Ehm, guys, I think the drug is starting to take its effect,_" he said, releasing a burst of volatile chakra at the closest enemy.

"_Don't do that!_" Kakashi screamed in their heads.

"_I can't help it,_" Naruto replied back, "_it… it's literally leaking out!_" Another burst of uncontrolled chakra sent two Root agents around him flying. Imperceptibly, the rest of the enemy shifted their positions a bit further away from the jinchuuriki.

"_We need to get out of here asap!_"

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. Kakashi could see the chakra manifest as steam of angry red around his student. '_If only Sakura was here,_' he left that thought for himself, fully aware that the head medic of Konoha could not disappear the day her best friend was bailed from prison and return on the next as if nothing happened. Same goes for him but he was willing to face the consequences of his actions. Besides, he took a day off so his absence wouldn't be noticed.

Kakashi needed a plan, and he needed it fast. The enemy outnumbered them almost two to one. Naruto, their trump card, couldn't fight in his current condition. Summoning his infamous genius, the Copy Nin turned on to the defensive.

"_If we are not leaving now, I'm afraid we are not leaving at all,_" they heard Tenten's words as Naruto's condition was rapidly becoming worse. He could barely stand – his fight with the warden had taken more time than expected, and now they were suffering the consequences. The brunette leaped to his defense, deflecting enemy kunai with a weapon of her own. "_Hurry up!_"

As if things weren't dire enough, the remaining prison guards seemed to understand that Naruto was becoming no longer a threat. Empowered by jinchuuriki's weakness, they started to circle the enemy, once again ready to strike. Dancing around this new wave of onslaught, Kakashi cursed the old warden. He trained his staff well. Despite being mediocre ninja, prison guards knew exactly how to fight in concordance with elite Root shinobi. There even seemed to be a pattern to their attacks…

"_That's it!_" the Copy Nin exclaimed, getting a moment to regain his breath from all the frantic dodging and ducking. "_Group together!_" he would've barked the order if he weren't communicating in their minds. "_There is a pattern to their attacks, look closely._"

Everyone, desperate for any solution, immediately surrounded Naruto. It wasn't ideal, but Naruto must be protected.

Analyzing the enemy's movements, Sai was the first to notice the pattern. "_They let the guards attack first before going in for the kill_."

Indeed, it was clear after the artist's words that Root preferred to use regular shinobi as canon fodder to distract the enemy.

"_Hinata, everything is on you now,_" their leader said. "_Just like we practiced. __You need to catch them during their attack. Everyone, stand close to Hinata!_" He then addressed the rest of the team, "_Tenten-san, Sai, as soon as Hinata's attack is started, I want you to join in. Extend the onslaught. Ino-san, help Naruto. Cover each other's backs._"

Despite Kakashi's calm instructions in her head, Hinata knew he would be shouting them if he could. He explained everything telepathically, so everyone knew their parts. She audibly exhaled, mentally preparing herself for what she was sure was their final trick. Everyone here was counting on each other, and she couldn't afford to doubt herself, much less anyone else. They will do this, and they will win.

Their tight formation had made quite a target for the enemy. It was no surprise that several fire bolts were launched their way, all dissolved upon Kakashi's wall of mud. Not even waiting for the smoke to dissipate, the guards went in to follow up the attack. This time Kakashi and Shizune had deliberately left an opening in hopes to lure the enemy into the trap. As predicted, two of the Root agents detached themselves from the rest and lunged themselves forward, anticipating an easy kill.

The trap was sprung. It was all Kakashi and the team needed to tip the balance to their side.

Up untill the moment it was done, Hinata wasn't completely sure how Kakashi's plan was supposed to work. Now that four of their most dangerous opponents were dead, she couldn't help but feel exhilarating relief over their daring attempt. It no longer felt like a reasonable gamble, but a brilliant tactical move. Her teammates seemed to share her opinion, as she heard a few grunts of approval.

It happened very fast. As soon as the two shinobi launched themselves at seemingly defenseless Kakashi and Shizune, Hinata started spinning a Kaiten, effectively separating their attackers from the rest of the Root squad. Immediately, Tenten and Sai sprung to action, kicking the two enemy ninjas towards the wall of the rapidly whirling sphere around them. Hitting the Kaiten, unfortunate victims bounced back, disoriented from the impact, allowing Tenten and Sai to finish them with a quick slash of their swords. Once they were dead and Hinata stopped spinning, Shizune and Kakashi launched attacks of their own. Not wasting a second of their element of surprise, the medic released a sizable cloud of poisonous smoke on the remaining Root. It caught one off guard, and despite him jumping away half a second later, the poison was quick to end his life, his dead body falling limp on the ground. At the same time Kakashi used the cloud of purple poison as cover and his experience to predict the enemy's movements, blindly flinged a couple kunai. Infused with chakra, they flew fast and accurate through the purple smoke, resulting in another kill – one of the opponents was able to deflect his attack.

Overall, the combination was extraordinarily beautiful and stupidly difficult to execute. Even remaining Root ninja faltered in their steps, it seemed, as if to appreciate their perfectly synchronized attack. Killing four exceptionally skilled shinobi in a span of three seconds was something that veterans used to brag about during the Third War.

Back to the present, Kakashi called out, "_How is Naruto doing?_"

"_Losing conscience,_" Ino reported back. "_Needs immediate attention._"

Medical attention that they could not ensure, Kakashi thought, his curses clearly resounding in his comrades' heads. Not while eight of the remaining enemies were breathing at their necks. Eight against six, he noted to himself.

Time for recuperation seemed to be over, as the enemy began their attacks with renewed vigor. There was no apparent strategy to their attacks, however, except the most basic of patterns. They just lunged themselves one after the other, focusing mostly on Ino and Shizune. While some of them attacked, the others naturally covered their backs, but Kakashi noticed it was purely instinctual now. They no longer moved with that deliberate precision, too eager to attack, too indifferent to defend. No matter how much Danzou instilled fearlessness in his soldiers, morale is and always will be the most important factor in any battle. The outcome of the fight was as good as sealed.

In the next few minutes they were able to kill most of the Root and rout the rest of the guards. The remaining two Root operatives turned away and fled. No doubt to deliver a message to their Hokage. Ideally, Kakashi should've eliminated them but they couldn't waste any more time.

"_Can't believe we did it!_" was the first thought that left Ino's head after their battle was finished.

The battlefield was littered with slain enemies, those who were still standing wisely chose caution. Prison guards were regular people, afterall. Compared to Root they lacked in both ability and motivation. Their unenthusiastic ranged attacks were the only thing that prevented them from fully relaxing.

It didn't prevent them from leaving the prison, though.

"I can't believe we did it!" repeated Ino, for the first time voicing her thoughts after the prison was left behind the horizon.

"Believe it," was Naruto's weak response, initiating a moment of silence.

And then everyone burst into laughter. The elation of surviving impossible odds was the one thing common in all shinobi.

"Still alive to be joking, I see?"

"Can't shut up even now."

Kakashi shook his head, allowing friends their moment. He was about to order a stop so that they could administer the antidote, but the words stuck in his throat as soon as he saw a sour expression on Hinata's face.

"The antidote," she said, almost whispered, making everyone tense up. With shaking hands, she pulled out a broken vial. "I'm sorry."

Immediately, the mood reverted back to grim uncertainty, as if they were still back on the prison grounds, fighting a dozen Root agents. Nobody said a word, everyone directing their gaze at the team leader. There was a great deal of fear in those eyes, yes, but there also was determination. As if they would do anything should he just ask. The new generation never failed to surprise Kakashi. No matter what, these people didn't give up.

Kakashi only hoped their loyalty to each other will hold in the next few days. Because Naruto's condition could jeopardize all of their plans. It was by no means their friend's fault though, and if he could wait for one whole year then they could very well wait until he completely recovers.

"Change of plans," he said. "Sai, Shizune-san, you'd need to take Naruto to Tsunade-sama."

"But Konoha is closer. Isn't it better to get him there? Sakura–"

"Sakura has no more antidotes and taking Naruto there is too risky. What if we are spotted and caught?"

A dark look passed everyone's faces. They absolutely couldn't allow Danzou to get his hands on Naruto. They would rather die.

Seeing reason in Kakashi's words Sai nodded, summoning a large bird with a few quick strokes of his newly retrieved brush.

"Shizune-san, how long do we have till the drug wears out?" Kakashi asked, gesturing for them to put the struggling blond on the ground.

"The half-life is around 8 hours."

"Meaning it'll last for a long time…" Kakashi muttered, thinking about any potential ways out of their predicament. Taking a glimpse at his teammates, he could see the worry in their eyes. Some of them even starting to lose their cool, with Hinata constantly mumbling apologies and Tenten unleashing her fury at herself by punching the nearest tree, making the trunk shake from impact.

"Shit," the weaponsmistress said, "shit shit shit!"

Compared to Shizune, these girls were still green, Kakashi thought, brushing off fallen leaves from his hair.

"Tenten-san, stop hitting that poor tree. Hinata, I need you to calm down! Ino-san, Sai, stop arguing and everyone come here!" he barked. Instantly, all the commotion ceased, only occasional grunts of pain from Naruto cutting through the silence like a knife.

"Go get 'em," the blond jinchuuriki said, his chuckle turning into a fit of breathlessness.

"Now that everyone is paying attention," Kakashi began, eyeing everyone critically, "I need your input, especially the ones who has any medical knowledge." Finally, he thought, when the expression on his teammates' faces turned back to determined. "I have these seals with me," he said, pulling out a piece of paper from his vest pocket. Immediately, recognition flickered in Shizune's eyes.

"Sealing tag," the brunette said, already knowing where their leader was going with this. "I'm afraid it's not going to work," she stopped him. "It is designed to seal jinchuuriki chakra, true, but in doing so it will do nothing to stop said chakra from imploding within Naruto's body."

"I was fearing it wouldn't work," Kakashi said, putting the tags back into his pocket. "If anyone has any ideas now would be the time."

Everyone raked their brains for anything that could help. Judging by their disappointed faces Kakashi could tell that they had as much luck with it as him. Until he heard Hinata's voice, that is.

"I have an idea," she told them, her expression grave. "But it's… really dangerous."

"What is it? Come on, we are not exactly in a position to be picky here," Tenten urged.

Everyone silently agreed. Hinata nodded, now wasn't the time for hesitation.

"There is a jutsu I know… Twin Lion Palms…" she spied a glance at her husband, waiting for recognition in his eyes.

"It can drain chakra…" Kakashi did not disappoint.

"That… can work," said Shizune, a thoughtful expression on her face. "If Hinata manages to drain Naruto of enough chakra…"

"The thing is," Kakashi added, "she'd have to hit him to do that."

Everyone stared at Hinata. The idea of harming Naruto did not appeal to anyone, but they understood that it had to be done if he were to survive.

Sensing Hinata's reluctance, Kakashi came up to her and put his palms on her cheeks.

"Hinata, you can do it. You have to do it. I believe in you."

His wife blinked the tears away and nodded, determination filling her. Kakashi was right, she had to do it.

Doesn't mean that she didn't hate doing it.

They put Naruto up against a tree, a perfect target for her Twin Lions. Hinata exhaled, performing her strongest technique. Kakashi's eyes widened when he saw her launch the lion heads at Naruto – he thought she couldn't send them flying. Both hits landed, literally pushing Naruto into the tree he was leaning against, splintering the wood. He didn't let a sound escape his lips, but they didn't need to hear that to know that it was painful.

"I think… it's working…" they heard him mutter, still standing despite the heavy beating. "But… need some more…"

After the second round Hinata couldn't hold her tears. She collapsed on the ground, mirroring Naruto, but for a totally different reason.

Shizune immediately ran up to the blond to check for his condition.

"I– I can't believe it. He is actually better!" the medic shouted, taking note of his heart rate and temperature gradually reducing closer to normal. There no longer was that horrible pressure from the Kyubi's chakra.

"I feel like… I've been ran over by a bull," Naruto's remark was meant to lighten the mood, but nobody couldn't even crack a smile. "… don't feel like a burning torch anymore, though." Despite his reassurances everyone could plainly see the pain etched on Naruto's face.

"Not for long. This is but an improvised measure," Shizune said, checking her handiwork for any errors. Satisfied with her patchwork, she turned back to her teammates, "Sai, we can take Naruto to Tsunade-sama now."

The two of them plus Naruto took off on Sai's bird. Everyone watched as the rapidly shrinking figure in the sky disappeared behind the clouds. Hinata felt like her hope was being carried away. She continued beating herself up until a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Kakashi said, a similar expression of guilt etched on his face despite his words. "They'll make it."

"They'll make it," affirmed Ino, walking up to the Hyuga. She raised her hand, stopping Hinata from apologizing. "I know what you want to say, and I don't want to hear it. I messed up too, remember?"

"We all messed up," joined Tenten. "In fact, I'd say the only one who didn't is Sukea-san."

"I am this team's leader. You fail – I fail."

He tried to sound reassuring, but in his head, he was ready to kill himself. Underestimating Root, compromising Naruto's safety, not being prepared enough – it was all his fault. All of these mistakes were on him. Strangely, nobody blamed him. It was ironic considering that Kakashi was usually blamed even for things that weren't his fault.

"See?" Ino said, hugging Hinata. "It's not your fault. As my dad used to say, 'If it's everyone's fault, then it's no one's fault'."

"Yeah," drawled Tenten, disbelief evident in her tone. "You just made that up on the spot."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

Hinata nodded, before turning around and slamming into her commander's chest. Kakashi reciprocated her hug, trying to ignore the befuddled stares of their teammates.

Ino and Tenten's faces immediately contorted in confused expressions.

"I thought you were madly in love with your Copy Nin?" the blonde teased, making Hinata blush.

Kakashi knew that it was stupid, but he somehow felt jealous of his alter-ego at that moment. Hinata, however, would have none of it.

"For your information, he is Kakashi!" she said, blowing her husband's cover in one fell swoop.

A pregnant pause hung over the group, before Ino burst with laughter.

"Yeah, that's my girl!" the blonde beamed. "Honestly, you should've seen the look on your husband's face!"

"Please no," Tenten groaned. "I'm not in the mood for this shit."

And thus, the bickering between two girls had begun anew. They continued fighting even during their trek back to Konoha. All talk stopped, however, when they saw their village.

"What the fuck?" they heard Tenten's mutter.

Even from that far they could clearly see smoke rising from multiple parts of Konoha. They heard sounds of explosions and saw people pour from the gates, fleeing their beloved village. Those few seconds were enough for them to start running.

When they were close enough, Kakashi stopped one of the fleeing civilians.

"What happened here?" he asked urgently, hoping against hope that it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Hokage's forces are battling the rebellion! Everything on their way is getting destroyed. I'm getting my kids out and maybe staying out myself," the man informed inbetween heavy pants. "I'd advise you to do the same."

With those words he urged the two children holding his hands to continue running.

The group then climbed up the wall to get a better look at what was going on. A devastating sight greeted them from their position on the wall. The center of Konoha looked more like a battlefield than a place to live in. Entire blocks were lying in shambles, destroyed by ongoing fight between their military and rebellion. Root, police and ninja soldiers were fighting rebel ninjas with varying success. Screams echoed from all around. It was utter chaos.

Kakashi watched citizens of Konoha flee from the devastated village, leaving whoever remained to fight for themselves. This was exactly what he feared when Danzou usurped the power a year ago. Except that last time, they were even weaker due to the War. He heard his teammates' gasps and mumbles of denial behind.

"Friends," he said, slowly turning around, "we are in a Civil War."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19.**

"How can it be?"

Tenten didn't need to say that, for the same question was in everyone's mind at that moment.

Their group of four stood aghast on top of the wall. They needed some time to process the situation. Time that they didn't have.

"What do you see?" asked Kakashi, trusting that Hinata had already started scanning the village with her Byakugan.

"The center is a wreck, but most of the village seems intact," was an immediate reply. "Battles everywhere…"

"What about my clan?" asked Ino, panic evident in her voice. "Is the compound alright?"

"It's intact," Hinata confirmed, looking at other clans' seats. She didn't see much damage until her attention reached her own clan.

The Hyuga clan's main house compound was ravaged, Root lurking in every corner. Her clansmen were being arrested or killed. The only part of their lands that stood its ground so far was the branch house. A large force of the remaining Hyuga were concentrated there. Root hadn't reached them yet, but soon they will, and her clan will inevitably fall.

Dread washed over Hinata's whole being. She had to help them. It was her clan too. Hanabi–

"Oh, God," the realization shook Hinata, "Hanabi… We have to find Hanabi!"

"And we will, but first we need to regroup. Find Shikamaru and others and then–"

"What are you talking about? Kakashi, she is your sister!"

"And that's precisely why she's going to be fine. She can take care of herself. Besides, I asked Gai to look after her while we went on our mission–"

"Gai-sensei can't even walk! How can you trust him with something that important?!"

Hurt passed in Kakashi's face and Hinata couldn't feel bad at all. Not when her little sister was at stake.

"Listen, my clan is in danger, my sister is in danger. I have to help both, but I cannot do it at the same time," she pressed on. "Please."

She couldn't help either of them if Kakashi was being honest. Her husband sighed and shook his head ruefully. There was no way to make Hinata back down.

"Alright. But I will be one to go to the Hyuga compound. You find Hanabi."

Hinata smiled, giving him a determined nod. She knew that he'd understand.

Kakashi was in Hyuga clan's good grace, so they won't oppose him. After agreeing to rendezvous at Shikamaru's compound, Hinata left their group to search for her sister.

"I'm going too," Tenten informed them not long after.

Kakashi nodded. The girl wasn't from a clan, so her family was much more vulnerable to leave behind. Also, Copy Nin had a feeling she'll leave anyway, with or without his permission.

"So, we are heading to the Hyugas', right?" asked Ino, who decided to follow Kakashi once she learned that her own family was safe within the walls of Shikamaru's compound.

"No. We are heading to Shikamaru's."

"What? But I thought–"

"I lied," Kakashi confessed. "We can't risk by going there, and we won't be able to help anyway. Hyugas are not idiots. As soon as they saw they were being attacked and were going to lose, they should have retreated. Yet, a large force remained in a branch house compound, while some of them were still fighting the enemy. All this is too suspicious."

Ino nodded weakly, watching Kakashi summon his ninken, trying to have faith in the older shinobi. His reasoning made sense, but seemed a little too cold of a calculation.

After giving orders to his pack to locate Hiashi Hyuga, Kakashi was surprised to see all eight of them head in the opposite direction of the Hyuga compound. He found it interesting but decided to ponder on it later. Their forces were likely in disarray, and their communications were not in the best state.

They had to get to Shikamaru and finally learn what the hell happened in their village.

* * *

Hinata was jumping from roof to roof, trying her best to avoid any Root. Hanabi was her first priority, and so far she was successful in evading confrontation. She had her Byakugan to help her find her sister, but looking for her in a big village was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. She had to narrow down the search area. The Hyuga mansion was skipped because she didn't see Hanabi there, and even if she was there, Kakashi will take care of her. Thus, the only other logical choice was their with Kakashi's house, which is where she was currently headed.

As soon as she neared the house Hinata stopped in her tracks. Root ninjas she spotted from miles away, seemed to finally make their move. Only when she arrived close enough did they knock the door of Kakashi's house.

'_What is she doing?_' went through Hinata's mind when the door was opened by Hanabi.

She knows better than walk into a trap like that. And what was Gai doing there, just sitting in his wheelchair in the corridor right behind Hanabi? Her questions were answered when Hanabi suddenly ducked down and a wheelchair flied above her head, slamming into the Root agent, taking him by surprise. The other two that stood some distance away reacted immediately, attacking the girl.

"No!" a yell of panic slipped Hinata's lips, but her worries were for naught.

Just as one of them closed in on Hanabi he met Gai's foot. The impact of the hit was so strong that the unsuspecting Root was instantly knocked unconscious. The last of their enemies didn't fare much better. Moving unexpectedly fast for a retired _and _crippled ninja, Gai dealt with him in a matter of seconds. By the time Hinata approached them the battle was long over.

"Neechan!"

Reunited, the two sisters wasted no time in giving each other a hug and filling each other in on what happened.

Hinata then turned to the man who saved her sister and thanked him, feeling guilty that she doubted him and her husband.

"No need to thank me, I would never allow such precious youth to be harmed by anyone!" Gai boomed, standing comfortably on one leg. "Come on, let us reunite with my Rival! I'm afraid it's going to get much more dangerous around here soon."

"Neechan, it's really bad, we have to warn others," Hanabi elaborated Gai's foreboding statement. "Branch house betrayed us. They joined Danzou and took everyone from the main family away."

Hinata didn't even have time for the shock to settle in, as she remembered Kakashi's concerns regarding the same topic not long ago.

"Kakashi!" she exclaimed, now worry starting to finally take over. "I'm an idiot! We need to hurry, maybe he still hadn't reached it yet..."

"What are you talking about, sis?"

"I sent Kakashi to our clan to help them, even though he found them suspicious. And now you tell me our own clan betrayed us…"

"He could be in trouble!" Hanabi finished, feeling dread creep upon her as well.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's save Kakashi!" Gai urged, determination adding fuel to his usual already energetic self.

Despite the confidence in his tone, both sisters had a feeling he was as worried for his friend as they were.

The group bumped into a lot of Root during their way. The skirmishes were fierce, and sometimes they received help from a random rebel shinobi, which only further demonstrated the chaos their village was in. Hinata was once more impressed by her husband's rival. Despite losing his wheelchair, Gai was able to keep up with them somewhat, alternating between running on his arms and jumping on his healthy leg. Having been explained of the situation by her sister, Hanabi wondered how Kakashi was doing with other Hyugas.

Hinata's Byakugan was of little help to them, having been using it pretty much non-stop for the last twelve hours. The smallest amount of chakra sent to her eyes caused excruciating pain and did nothing to improve her sight, so Hanabi was their only source of working Byakugan for the time being. Despite the girl's talent and hard work, her Byakugan didn't possess enough reach and clarity to be able to distinguish Kakashi from hundreds of other shinobi from miles away. Not only that, but her reserves were quickly depleting, starting to make her vision hazy and unreliable.

"I still can't find him," Hanabi informed her companions, feeling more and more stressed by the minute. "We need to get closer."

"Getting closer is dangerous. We mustn't forget that they are Hyuga too. They can see you as well as you can see them."

Despite appearances, Gai was a jounin. He could shake his easygoing attitude and adopt a serious demeanor when the situation demanded.

"Gai-sensei is right."

Hinata was torn. The longer they spend in this uncertainty the more time for the enemy to make their move. If what Hanabi was telling was correct, then nobody else in the village knew about the Hyuga branch house's betrayal.

What would Kakashi do in her place? Hinata's current companions were among the closest people of her husband's, so when she asked them it was no surprise that both had a thought to share.

"My Rival is an extremely guarded man. If he expressed doubt regarding Hyugas then it is safe to assume that he took some precautions," Gai was the first to speak up, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"I agree. He is also quite stubborn," supplied Hanabi. "So I think he didn't go to the Hyuga mansion at all."

"You think he lied to me?" asked Hinata, thinking to herself that it was the only time she'd gladly have Kakashi lie to her.

"Think about it, sis. He didn't let you go there and instead sent you after me. Even though our clan doesn't hate him, he still works for Danzou in their eyes. So going to them would have been a bad idea."

"They would've been less likely to listen to him," nodded Gai, seeing reason in the girl's words. She knew his friend well.

Hinata took a few moments to think about it. The streets ahead were thrashed. Battles and skirmishes broke out all around them. Hanabi informed them that Shikamaru's forces were able to use narrow Konoha streets and general chaos to lay ambushes on Root squadrons, and it seemed that the Nara genius was outplaying the enemy overall. However, Hinata knew that it wasn't going to last for long. If Hyuga clan's branch house was on Danzou's side, then their Byakugan would render any tactical move from Shikamaru's part completely ineffective. The longer Shikamaru is kept in dark about the situation the more people they were going to lose.

"I think we should go and warn the others about the Hyugas."

Agreed, the three of them hurried to Shikamaru's. Each of them still harboring uncertain feelings about their decision. They hoped they were right in assuming that Kakashi would not get caught like that. They also hoped that he would share his suspicions with Shikmaru and others, because by the time they get to them it could be too late.

Just as the thought crossed their minds, a sizeable group of Konoha shinobi led by a Root lieutenant appeared before them.

"You are under arrest for attacking authorities. Surrender peacefully and your relation to the rebellion will be determined later, after which a suitable punishment will be carried out," the only Root among the group declared.

The other ninjas looked like regular jounins. They didn't belong to any major clan, so it was no surprise that in such a tumultuous event they chose to side with the government and the order it supposedly provided.

"Comrades, why are you fighting on their side?" Gai roared, accusation and disappointment mixing in with the righteous fury. "Can't you see that you are helping these criminals in terrorizing Konoha?!"

His fellow jounins looked uncomfortable, avoiding Gai's passionate gaze. Some of them lowered their weapons a fraction, looking at each other with hesitation. Nevertheless, they remained by the Root shinobi's side.

"Resistance to arrest, defamation of the government and destabilization of the Village Hidden in the Leaf," the Root kept stating all their alleged crimes against the Leaf, until he took a battle stance and ordered his subordinates to fight. "Arrest them."

Kunai flew both ways, jutsus were exchanged as freely as blows. Their group fought valiantly but three of them against more than ten experienced jounins stood no chance. Just as Gai was subdued, receiving a hard kick to his disabled leg from the Root, a blur of green slammed into their captor's side.

An audible crack echoed along the street, turning everyone's attention to the green blur. The blur turned into yet another shinobi, and that shinobi was not on Danzou's side.

"Lee!" the punisher squad heard their captive say, and they immediately recognized their enemy.

Much like his friends from his generation, Rock Lee was making a name for himself among Konoha shinobi. An apprentice to the legendary Green Beast was second in taijutsu only to his famed master. The same master who was currently held hostage by these ninjas.

Losing all the will to fight now that their leader was dead, the remaining Konoha shinobi reluctantly allowed them to pass. There was never much motivation for them to fight in the first place, so they were not going to risk their necks fighting their comrades.

Hinata and Hanabi thanked their luck that one of their friends had been nearby to help. After a short exchange, Lee picked his sensei up and together the four of them headed to outskirts of Konoha were the Nara compound was located.

* * *

Shikamaru didn't understand. None of his friends or advisors did. They all looked on the same map on his table and had similar lost expressions on their faces.

"How are they outmaneuvering us on every occasion?" the Nara Head asked no one in particular.

The enemy was good. But not so good as to completely see through all their traps and decoys, evade the bulk of their forces and strike where it would hurt the most. That was just impossible.

"It is as if they can see our every move," commented gravely another member of the Nara clan.

"That's because they do."

Everyone turned their heads towards the Copy Nin, who seemed to have just arrived.

"Explain," asked Shikamaru, ready to get very angry if it was something that Kakashi chose to withhold from them again and was only telling them now.

"When we came back, Hinata noticed suspicious activity in the Hyuga compound. It looked like the main house was fighting but the branch house just idly stood by," Kakashi said, knowing that more explanations won't be necessary.

"You are telling they betrayed us?!" one of the advisors asked, horrified. "But that's… that's…"

"Catastrophic," Shikamaru finished for the man who seemed to be on a verge of panic attack.

Catastrophic was just about right regarding their situation. How can you fight the Byakugan? All the strategy and positioning goes out the window now that their enemy has unobstructed vision of the whole battlefield.

"We have no choice but to give them a fight. With Naruto on our side–"

"Naruto is not here."

At once, everyone's attention was back to Kakashi.

"What do you mean 'he is not here'?" asked Shikamaru, the panic starting to grow.

"Don't worry, he is safe," Kakashi assured. "Just injured and on his way to Tsunade-sama."

And so, Kakashi began explaining what happened on their mission earlier and how they came upon their village in a state of civil war. In return, Shikamaru filled him in on what had happened while they were away. Apparently, there were multiple fights that broke out in various places. Nobody knows exactly what led to the conflict, but it was clear that Danzou was prepared. Sakura made a tough decision to abandon her position at the hospital to join them in their fight. She was currently on the battlefield with others, tending to the injured and engaging in combat herself. Most ot the civilians fled, completely unchecked. It seemed Danzou didn't care where they went as long as they came back when everything is settled.

With every sentence exchanged, they felt more and more doomed. Spelling their problems out like that made those problems much scarier.

"I think it's time for us to think about the plan of retreat," Kakashi finally said after digesting everything imparted on him by Shikamaru. "On our way here the gates were still not secured, maybe if we rush to the closest–"

Just as the suggestion was about to leave his lips, the ground under their feet began to tremble. The whole building was given a shake, and it stopped as suddenly as it appeared. A frazzled Ino burst into the room.

"Shikamaru, we are getting attacked! The enemy is coming from the forest!"

"What? How?" the questions escaped before the realization came.

The Hyugas. The Nara Clan Forest is located on the outskirts of Konoha, and it goes all the way to the Nara compound. It provided a great barrier for the enemy as nobody aside from the Nara clan knew how to navigate in it. People were more likely to get lost or get spotted before they reached their compound. As such, the resistance didn't assign many people on guarding the forest. All their forces were thrown on more obvious directions of assault. But now that the enemy had Hyugas in their disposal, they easily managed to avoid all of their patrols and passed through the forest in record time, taking the rebellion completely by surprise.

"How bad is it?" Kakashi asked, the feeling that they already lost creeping on his mind.

"Very bad. There is at least a hundred of them, and they have Hyugas!"

Everyone gasped. Now there was no question. They were betrayed, and they seemed to have no chance.

"Order a massive retreat," Shikamaru ordered to other commanders. "Send the message to other clans. Appeal to them one last time. Whoever is with us must flee the village. We will try to regroup outside the border of Konoha."

"Sir, what about those who are engaged in other locations throughout the village?"

Shikamaru screwed his eyes. "We can't help them. Order a retreat and hope for the best."

In the chaos of their retreat, Kakashi continued to absently analyse their current situation. It was highly unlikely that many shinobi will manage to escape the village, seeing as the civilians have been pouring out in a steady stream for the last hour. Thus, a plan started to form in his head. It was risky and completely depended on factors that he couldn't control, but it seemed like their only chance. Quickly writing a message on a piece of some random paper and pocketing it, he left to assist the retreat.

* * *

Danzou stood in the outskirts of the Nara Forest, giving out orders and overseeing the operation. It was a long time since he took part in action and the old Hokage had almost forgotten how good it felt to win a battle personally.

"Sir, we are pushing the enemy back. As predicted, they didn't expect us to attack from this side."

"Fools. Relying on… trees to protect them. Konoha may be hidden in leaves, but it is not protected by them," Danzou said, his head turning aside ever so slightly, eyes narrowing. "It is protected by me."

"Sir, they launched a flare. They are retreating."

"Go after them, but make sure it's an orderly chase. Keep monitoring. It still could be a trick."

Unbenknownst to others Danzou's eyes briefly darted from one corner to another, his sword hand tensing up in anticipation. His patience paid off, as when an enemy ninja lunged on him from the nearby tree, he was immediately cut down by Danzou's Wind Blade.

"Hmm, the enemy patrols we left behind in our haste seem to be a nuisance. See to it that our rear is sufficiently protected."

With those words their Hokage went back to his tent, leaving the Hyuga lieutenant alone with the dead body. He will wait until the battle is sealed and make an appearance then.

* * *

Hinata and her companions were almost there when they saw a flare go up in the sky. Everybody knew what it meant.

"They ordered a retreat."

Hanabi, on the verge of chakra exhaustion, used her Byakugan again and the sight before her was horrifying.

"We lost," she said, feeling her legs start to give out.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, catching her wavering sister.

"She means we lost this battle," Gai supplied, his tone grave. "You need to leave the village."

"We can't go without Kakashi and others!"

Gai looked conflicted but his promise to his friend seemed to prevail.

"I promised Kakashi that I'll not let you get caught."

"Then you'll have to help us."

Before the jounin could say anything the two sisters ran. Gai shook his head and cursed under his breath.

There was no way talking them out, and so the group went towards the designated place of retreat. Halfway to the closest gates of Konoha it was obvious that not all would be able to escape. Resistance was holding the gate, but they were not allowed to reinforce their positions by the endless swarm of Root and Danzou loyalists.

When they finally arrived, the battle was raging on. It seemed their friends' strategy to use Choji's overwhelming power to break through had succeeded but rendered Choji himself incapacitated. Now the enemy was throwing everything they had on the gates to retake it. In the chaos of battle, they almost missed Kakashi. He was fighting on the frontlines, desperately trying to take as many enemies as possible before he goes down, it seemed.

Just when it seemed they were losing, Hinata and Rock Lee came to their help. Two tired shinobi wasn't much, but the element of surprise allowed them to turn the battle and repel this small attack for now.

"Kakashi!"

Silver-haired head turned, and before long the husband and wife were reunited.

"Glad that you guys made it here," he said, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "As you can see there are many civilians who are trying to flee."

With those words he gestured at a steady stream of Konohans bursting out through the gate.

"Wish they were a bit faster though. We need to leave too."

Just as the last batch of civilians was about to leave, they heard screams from behind.

"Oh, no."

It was Danzou, in the flesh. And he looked smugger than ever, surrounded by a literal army of Root agents.

"Well, well, well," the usurper said. "We finally meet, Hatake."

The way he said Kakashi's name was filled with so much venom that even the Copy Nin was taken aback. Hadn't Danzou been such a horrible Hokage nobody would've betrayed him. And now he had the audacity to feel deceived.

"Danzou, this got too far. Let the civilians go at least."

A few civilian heads turned at Kakashi's selfless statement. Hinata was barely suppressing the anger.

'_Don't you dare look surprised! He's been protecting you all these years!_'

Other rebel ninjas stepped forward, ready to protect their fellow citizens.

"Ah, I was hoping you'd forgo the usual heroics today, but… It seems even a veteran of two wars is not resistant to this idealistic notion," Danzou sighed. "Very well. I don't need them anyway. They will come back. A day, a week, just you wait. Your precious citizens will come back and continue with their lives while you who so tirelessly worked to 'protect' them will rot in prison."

Hearing their permission, civilians hurried. Hanabi watched with disgust as these people abandoned their protectors, and when Kakashi nudged her to follow them she was downright hurt. 'I will never abandon my comrades!' was about to leave her lips before she saw a look in Kakashi's eyes. He was looking intently at the ground for some reason, and when she followed his gaze, she saw a small piece of paper there.

Making sure she stepped on it, Hanabi covertly tested if the paper stuck. Making sure the paper was on the bottom of her sandal, she reluctantly joined the civilians and got lost in the crowd. All the while telling herself that Kakashi and Hinata will be alright. That he will think of something.

"I will spare everyone who surrenders," Danzou declared benevolently.

If it is revealed, however, that they are the head of a clan, they will be removed from their position. He didn't say anything like that of course, but the intention was always there. Danzou couldn't lose the loyalty of so many great clans. The other Hidden Villages will come barging at his doors the moment they sense weakness. That is why dealing with this "rebellion" in one day was so imperative.

The old hokage smirked. All it took was pushing half the Hyugas to betray the other half, some intrigues here and there, a few provocations and the civil war started by itself.

Danzou watched with satisfaction as his enemies hung their heads low and surrendered. Just as he was about to gloat some more the damn Copy Nin started a ruckus. Imagine his surprise when Kakashi attacked his own wife with the Rasengan!

Hinata didn't expect what happened to her these last moments. One second he is apologizing, and another she found herself flying through the gate out of the village. Mid-air, she finally got her bearings and was able to safely land on the road a dozen meters away from the gate. Somehow Kakashi propelled her out of Konoha.

"Run!"

"Get out!"

"What are you waiting for!?"

Throwing one last conflicted look at her friends, Hinata decided to follow their request and ran as fast as she could.

"Shall we give chase?" one of Danzou's lieutenants asked.

"No. Let the girl flee. One less rat to worry about."

Instead, Hokage ordered to arrest everyone else. Kakashi watched them round up his friends, hoping that nobody gets killed as a result.

"Come on, move!" one of the Root urged, pushing him away from his spot in front of the gates.

He looked one more time through the tunnel before turning back and following the order.

Now it was up to _them _to save Konoha. Copy Nin allowed a smirk. Oh, how the tables have turned.

"What an irony," he muttered, just before something hit the back of his head and everything blacked out.

A good distance away, two sisters met up to continue their journey together. The only hint they had was Kakashi's message safely hidden in Hanabi's pocket.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20.**

Hinata and Hanabi marched on along a dirty road, trying and failing not to look back at their village. Konoha was defeated but not destroyed. At least that was what the girls have been telling themselves to prevent panic from settling in.

Hinata spied a glance at her little sister. Hanabi was quiet; worry and uncertainty no doubt occupying her head at the moment.

"Everything is going to be fine."

Hinata's reassurance felt empty even to herself. Nevertheless, she put her arm around her baby sister in a comforting manner, glad that Hanabi reciprocated the gesture.

Hinata wasn't sure who was comforting who anymore.

"Have you seen the letter?" she asked once Konoha was left behind the horizon and both girls released a relieved sigh they weren't aware they were holding.

Hanabi just shook her head, continuing to march aimlessly, following the road.

"Well, let's stop and take a look then."

Their one-sided conversation began to worry Hinata. Her little sister was a strong girl, but all the things that happened that day could take their toll on anybody. Distracted by her thoughts, Hinata almost missed Hanabi pulling out Kakashi's message and start to read it. The elder Hyuga stepped closer behind her back and joined her.

It was a simple letter, instructing them to get all the civilians to safety and inform Lady Tsunade of their location. It further read that Tsunade will know what to do once she gets the message. There was nothing else. It was clearly written in haste, and whatever plan Kakashi had in mind was not addressed in it.

"What does he mean by that!?" Hanabi exclaimed, her first words since their escape from Konoha being laced with anger. "Why should we even help those cowards?"

Clearly, Hanabi was not impressed by Kakashi's intent to continue protecting civilians. Weren't they in all this mess because of their concern for those ingrates in the first place?

Hinata frowned at her sister's uncharacteristically cruel remarks. It was a Konoha ninja's duty to protect the weak. It was what separated them from mindless killers.

"Hanabi-chan, think about it more rationally. Kakashi wouldn't ask of it if he didn't consider it important."

"What's important to him doesn't mean important to me!" the girl replied heatedly, before the words registered in her mind.

Almost immediately, her head hung in remorse. It was a lie, of course. Hanabi came to respect her brother-in-law and even love him as family, although she would never admit that to the man. Deep down she knew that she'd adhere to Kakashi's wish even if she disagreed with it. It might as well be his final wish…

"Hey, Hanabi, what's the matter?"

Hanabi didn't even notice the tears until she heard Hinata's worried question.

"Nothing," she replied, wiping the moisture away from her eyes. "It's all catching up, I guess."

She didn't want to mention to her sister what could happen to Kakashi and Hinata's friends while they were away. It was obvious to Hinata, however. She understood Hanabi because the same thoughts were swirling in her mind as well. But she had to remain strong for her little sister. She won't shed a tear in Hanabi's presence, and it was no time for sulking anyway.

"Come on," Hinata said, picking up the pace, "we have to reach the refugee camp before the nightfall."

And so, they went ahead. It might have looked like they were striding aimlessly along the road, but one of the first things they did upon leaving Konoha was use Byakugan to find a refugee camp. Apparently, Suna farmers who were working the fields near Konoha set up an aidpoint not too far from where they tended to the land. Hanabi wondered if it was part of the agreement between Kakashi and Suna, and their Kazekage ordered them to help refugees, or the farmers were doing it out of the kindness of their heart. Nevertheless, the word got around pretty quick that there was a huge camp for Konoha citizens nearby and every refugee was headed there.

Halfway to the camp, Hinata heard a suspicious rustle. Signing Hanabi to stop, she listened in, wary. Were they being followed by the enemy? Before she could activate her Byakugan and check for herself, a familiar gruff voice alerted them of their presence.

"Don't attack. It's us."

With those words, a pack of eight ninja hounds materialized from the bushes. Kakashi's ninken!

"It's you guys!" Hanabi exclaimed, displaying a positive emotion for the first time in hours.

She ran up to her canine friends and gave them a big hug. Pakkun looked decitedly uncomfortable but allowed the girl to squash him all the same.

"It's great to see you, guys," joined Hinata, petting Biscuit with a smile. "Is there any news from Konoha?"

"I'm afraid we know as much as you do," replied Pakkun. "Boss sent us to find Hiashi and once we did, we figured it would be better to scram. Knowing Boss, he probably has someone outside the village to brief us on our next actions, was what we thought."

"You don't have a plan, by any chance, Mrs. Boss?" asked Akino, adjusting his sunglasses much like a human would do.

All eight of the dogs stood to attention, awaiting orders from Hinata.

Two sisters exchanged a look.

"As a matter of fact, we do," answered Hanabi, handing Pakkun the wrinkled letter.

The pug sniffed the paper and started reading its contents. As soon as he finished, he nodded and immediately proceeded to complete his new mission, his teammates in tow.

"Wait, where are you going?" Hinata called after the leaving ninken.

"Someone needs to deliver the message to Tsunade, and we will do it much faster than you," Pakkun threw over his shoulder. "In the meantime, take care of them refugees."

With those words, the pack sprang on a nearby tree branch and quickly disappeared out of the Hyuga girls' view.

"Well, you heard him," said Hinata, bewildered by those ninken's efficiency. "Let's go make sure those civilians don't end up killing each other.

It was a joke, of course. It was likely that refugees will return back to Konoha very soon, seeing as "order" was more or less restored in their village. Indeed, when Hinata and Hanabi arrived at the camp it was obvious that people were not going to stay there forever. Some have already began packing to go back.

"I think we are supposed to make them stay," Hanabi shared her thoughts.

Hinata nodded. "Otherwise Tsunade-sama would have no need for our location."

They had to stall for at least a couple of days until Tsunade arrived. According to Kakashi, their former Hokage would know what to do.

"But how are we going to convince them to stay?"

Hanabi posed a valid question. Simply asking them wouldn't cut it, would it? Nevertheless, they had no other ideas, so they approached the camp leader. He was a middle-aged man with skin tanned from constant exposure to sun. After explaining their situation, he readily agreed to inform the villagers that returning back to Konoha would be too dangerous.

"They might get arrested if they go in like that in such large numbers," he reasoned. "There are massive search raids going on, and any suspicious behavior can put you in the dock."

And so, they began warning the refugees to wait at least a couple of days until they hear an official statement from Danzou. In the meantime, the camp leader promised that he will negotiate with the Hokage to allow them safe entrance to Konoha. Some of the people still left anyway, but a large group of them remained after hearing the warnings. They didn't want to return to Konoha only to get arrested.

After their mission was accomplished, they stood in the camp centre, wanting to ask some questions to the camp leader.

"Thank you, we wouldn't know what to do without your help," Hinata felt lucky that Suna farmers were so empathetic to their plea.

"I would be obliged to help even if I didn't want to," the head farmer replied. "Kazekage's orders."

"That explains everything," Hanabi muttered, turning the man's attention to her.

He looked her over from head to toe, before realization flickered in his eyes.

"Say, could you be Hanabi Hyuga, by any chance?" he asked, trying to sound as nonthreatening as possible.

"Yes… How?"

The camp leader laughed. "How do I know you, you mean? I may look a simple farmer, but Suna would never put me in charge of such a strategically important place if that was the case."

"So you are a ninja?" asked the girl, seeing where the man was going.

"You truly are a prodigy," praised the camp head, surprising Hanabi. "Yes, I am a shinobi of Sunagakure. Come on," he beckoned his Konoha companions to follow him.

Hinata and Hanabi were led inside a sizeable tent. They figured it was occupied by the camp leader and the man wanted to have a conversation in privacy.

"My apologies for the lack of accommodation," he said, likely talking about the fact that there were only two chairs in his "office". "You can take this," he gave up his own seat so that both of his guests could rest, while he himself sat on the side of his desk, but still able to face them.

Thanking their host once again, the Hyuga girls apologized and asked for his name.

"Ah, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. Atsuo Teima, at your service," he said, bowing formally. "I believe I know Hanabi-dono, but I haven't caught your name, lady…"

"Hinata Hatake," the elder sister replied without hesitation. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hatake eh," Atsuo smiled, "the pleasure is all mine. Allow me to apologize again; if only I knew that I'd be meeting such distinguished people…"

Both sisters were a little embarrassed by their host's behavior. They sure didn't feel like they were worthy of such honor. Meanwhile, the man continued showering them with praise.

"You may not have known it, but Hanabi-dono made quite an impression during Kakashi-sama's last visit to our village. All you could hear was the talk about a young Hyuga princess that was being groomed by the Copy Nin himself!" he informed Hanabi of her apparent popularity in Sunagakure. "And of course, who could forget about Hatake's charming wife. Word gets around, you know."

His suggestive remark made Hinata a little uncomfortable. Just what kind of things people say about her? There were more pressing matters, however, and she quelled her curiosity to ask the important question.

"Has there been any word from Kazekage-sama regarding what's happening in Konoha recently? If it's not too much to ask."

"Oh, not at all. Officially, Sunagakure condemns Danzou's recent actions. Apparently, other Great Villages also don't look at it favorably," Atsuo informed helpfully. "Currently, they are applying political pressure on Konoha to treat the arrested rebels humanely, so it is highly likely that your friends will not be executed. I cannot say the same about your husband, though."

"Thank you. I'm sure he'll be fine," Hinata replied, seemingly surprising the man with her faith in Kakashi.

The Hyuga sisters exchanged meaningful glances.

Atsuo was obviously cleared by Gaara to aid them. Otherwise he wouldn't be so cooperative, no matter how courteous. It was clear that Suna considered the rebels as allies and Danzou as the enemy, even if the Sand could not openly declare it. Hinata and Hanabi suspected Kakashi was involved with acquiring Kazekage's assistance. Perhaps Shikamaru was involved too, seeing as Temari took a liking to the lazy Nara.

"Oh, we will soon be joined by another important guest, by the way," their host remembered. "A stoic young man. I presume you know him."

Both sisters looked quizzically at the Suna shinobi. They were about to ask him who he was talking about when the man in question entered the tent.

"Ah, here he comes," Atsuo said jovially.

Hinata and Hanabi turned to see a hooded figure step in through the flaps. They immediately recognized him once he removed the hood, revealing a pair of mismatched eyes.

"Sasuke-san?" Hinata greeted, still not recovered from the surprise.

"Good to see you, ehm, Hinata-san," said man replied, still standing awkwardly at the entrance. "I arrived as soon as I heard what happened."

Hinata nodded, giving Kakashi's former student a friendly smile.

"It's good to see you too."

"Ah, how perfect, you already know each other! Saves me from introductions," Atsuo boomed, beckoning Sasuke to come closer. "That would've been awkward, considering I didn't know your name, Sasuke-dono."

Atsuo showed no hostility even though Sasuke Uchiha was considered an international criminal in many countries. Instead, he left the Konoha ninjas to "catch up", claiming that he had some business to attend to. All three of Konoha shinobi were sure that he left a bug to eavesdrop. His allegiance lies with Sand, so it was understandable. Thankfully, the man was kind enough to allow them a semblance of privacy for their conversation.

"So," the Uchiha said, not knowing how to begin, "you are Kakashi's wife now."

"Mhm," Hinata nodded, a soft smile on her face. "Do you have any information about Kakashi, by any chance?"

"Did you see him?" Hanabi chimed in, her tone hopeful.

Sasuke took note of their worry, and his doubts began to clear. He always assumed that Hinata would hate his former teacher for forcing this marriage, but it seemed it was quite the opposite.

"No, I have no way of getting past Konoha security to know," Sasuke answered honestly. "I'm afraid we'll only know once Konoha is retaken."

Hinata released a defeated sigh. She feared as much.

"Those backstabbing traitors," they heard Hanabi speak up suddenly, all the pent up rage returning with full force. "To think that I wanted to ban the practice of curse marks when I became the clan Head…"

Sasuke was confused by the girl's words, but Hinata understood immediately what her little sister was talking about. The Caged Bird Curse Mark was a seal placed on the members of the branch family to prevent the enemy from stealing their Byakugan. It was also used by the members of the main family to ensure obedience, as when activated the seal caused excruciating pain to its victim. Needless to say, the seal was often abused by the main family, essentially enslaving the branch house. It was an outdated and inhumane practice, and Hinata was sure that it was anger speaking in her little sister.

"Hanabi-chan," she turned to the girl, "I understand you are angry, but don't let their betrayal to–"

"I don't let anything, whatever happens to those bastards is no longer my concern," Hanabi cut her off, not in the mood to listen her sister preach about forgiveness. She abruptly stood up, "I'm going to get some fresh air."

Hinata and Sasuke watched as Hanabi left. Despite the differing expressions on their faces, both felt quite similarly about the situation. After half a minute of sitting there and gathering her thoughts, Hinata was finally ready to follow her sister outside, but was stopped by Sasuke's hand on her shoulder.

"Let me talk to her," he said, surprising even himself by the sudden display of enthusiasm.

Nevertheless, Hinata reluctantly agreed, and so there was nothing Sasuke could do except follow with his own request.

He quickly located the girl; she stood just on the edge of the camp, facing the direction of their village, completely distracted by her thoughts by the looks of it. Releasing a sigh, the Uchiha went straight up to her, causing Hanabi to finally notice him. Looking at the girl's irritated and very much conflicted expression, Sasuke almost started regretting his decision to involve himself in this matter. Almost, because he couldn't allow Hanabi's hatred to jeopardize their mission.

And if he was completely honest with himself, he couldn't allow Hanabi to turn out like him.

"Listen…" he began but had no idea how to proceed further. "You– Your sister is– Hn. Forget it," he said lamely, accompanied by a raised brow from Hanabi. "Revenge is not the answer," Sasuke finally announced, managing to formulate his thoughts somewhat.

It didn't seem to have much effect on Hanabi, however. She frowned, arms crossed over her chest.

"Pretty rich coming from you."

Well, one thing was for sure for Sasuke, the girl was straightforward. And the fact that she was aware of his past meant that she was also quite astute.

"That's exactly why I am telling you this," the Uchiha avenger replied calmly. "Don't make the same mistakes I did."

"My father and my whole family are probably dead because of them! Kakashi could be dead! How can you tell me that I shouldn't hate them for it!"

Tears threatened to spill from Hanabi's eyes, and it looked like she was doing everything in her power not to openly cry. Sasuke felt bad for being reassured by that. The girl was already stronger than him at her age. Even under all this stress she was displaying incredible courage.

"You don't know that for sure," he argued, having patiently waited for her outburst to die down. "And even if they are dead, do you think your father or Kakashi would've liked you to give up like this?"

"I'm not giving up!"

"Are you?" the man asked, disbelief clear in his tone. "I was in a similar position as you many years ago. Kakashi warned me about going down the path of hatred, and that it will bring me nothing but pain. He told me that I couldn't bring back my family, but I still had people who cared for me. That I would be abandoning them if I defected," the words were leaving Sasuke's lips in a stream by that point, the memory of that fateful conversation bringing back emotions. "Tell me, what is it if not giving up!?"

Hanabi looked more and more conflicted by the second, each sentence chipping on her stubbornness. It was time for Sasuke's final argument.

"I was in a similar position, and I made the wrong choice. I truly thought that I had no one in this world, not that it is any excuse," he muttered, feeling infinitely tired by his past stupidity. "But you, do you truly think that you don't have anyone?"

Hanabi's eyes widened at those words. Not only the man's uncharacteristic outburst was shocking, but she could never answer negatively to his last question. Even if Father was dead, even if Kakashi died, she couldn't say that she had no one else whom she cared for. Because she would still have her sister. Because just a thought of causing pain to Hinata made her heart clench; and she knew how it must hurt her if she saw her little sister become jaded and unforgiving, casting away all her principles in the name of revenge.

Tears were now flowing freely down Hanabi's cheeks. Despite what her current appearance might have looked like, Sasuke saw a girl far stronger than she ought to be at that age. He came up to her, awkwardly putting a comforting arm on her shoulder.

"I know it feels unfair. But if we want things to truly change, we must not stray from our beliefs."

Hanabi didn't say anything, just nodded. It was enough for Sasuke. It was time for him to leave anyway, sensing that the girl's older sister was approaching. Evidently, Hinata couldn't sit and do nothing while her sister was hurting.

Leaving the family in their moment, Sasuke allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. Today he managed to steer someone clear from a fate full of pain and hatred. And in doing so he felt a little better about his own. Afterall, his mistakes could serve as an example for others who might want to entertain similar thoughts like Hanabi. Nipping it in the bud is much better than allowing the wound grow and fester, ultimately causing only more pain.

'_For those who follow the path of revenge, it never ends well.'_

Sasuke remembered those words like it was only yesterday that Kakashi spoke them to him. It's funny how words like that seem like nothing much until you experience them firsthand.

"Don't you dare to die, Kakashi," the Uchiha said, looking up at the brightening moon.

* * *

'_Don't you dare to die_,' Danzou said in his head, watching as the former Jounin Commander, currently his captive, was writhing in pain at his feet. Pathetic, really.

"Sir– Hokage-sama, I fear his brain might not survive if we continue…"

The urgency in Yamanaka's tone didn't escape Danzou's notice. And Ibiki had been awfully quiet during the interrogation. Rebel sympathizers, all of them.

Meanwhile, Hatake was still moaning in agony on the floor. "Please, stop. Please…"

"So be it," Danzou said, scrunching up his nose at the sight of his once right-hand man. "We will resume interrogations tomorrow."

With those words, Danzou stepped over Kakashi's miserable form and left the torture room, trusting his subordinates to take care of the prisoner without him.

As soon as their Hokage was out of the Torture and Interrogation Force headquarters, Ibiki came up to the still suffering man and covertly administered him with a sedative. All the while Kakashi begged for the pain to stop.

"You did well, Hatake, now go to sleep," he said, watching in pity as the Copy Nin recovered from the worst torture imaginable.

As if on cue, Kakashi lost consciousness, his breathing abnormally rapid even in his sleep.

"He might have nightmares," a voice echoed from the other side of the room. The Yamanaka psyche specialist was looking compassionately at the now unconscious man.

"You developed that torture method," Ibiki said, carefully laying Kakashi's prone body down and standing up himself, "tell me, how is it any better than the traditional way of inflicting physical harm on the captive?"

The accusation was left hanging in the air.

"Ibiki-san, need I remind you that had I not suggested it Hatake might have lost a limb or two, or all of them, or got blinded. There are countless ways to inflict pain on a person, and I have developed the least debilitating," the scientist defended calmly.

"Yeah, and the most mentally scarring," the head of the T&I department responded gruffly. "I seem to remember that about 15% of your method's victims went insane during the trials."

"And all 100% of them confessed within the first 3 minutes of interrogation," Yamanaka countered with a scoff. "And those people didn't go 'insane' as you put it. They had developed major psychotic ilnesses. Having delusions, hallucinations and the like does not mean that you are crazy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Ibiki said.

He didn't really care what happened to those scumbags anyway. Kakashi Hatake, however, was not a scumbag.

Ibiki didn't get much of that egghead's explanation, but he at least understood the rationale behind the Yamanaka's technique. When cast upon the victim, it messed with their brain, working like an illusion in many aspects, making them believe anything the caster projected. Thus, when Danzou told Kakashi that his skin was on fire and that his organs where being eaten from inside, Copy Nin _felt _that.

"I hope he recovers soon."

"He should," said his Yamanaka colleague, not unkindly, "this method is designed specifically so the danger to captive's physical health is minimal. It is mental health we should be worried about. Despite the results of clinical trials, it is very well possible for Hatake to go insane from such relentless torture. If only Hokage-sama gave a little more time for him to recover…"

Ibiki let a heavy sigh; that was unlikely. Opening the reinforced door, he threw one last look at Kakashi's prone body. To think that he willingly subjected himself to it...

"I hope your saviors will arrive soon," he muttered, before ordering the guards to relocate the prisoner to his cell and finally leaving himself.

Kakashi spent the rest of the day in a fitful haze, alternating between nightmares when he was sleeping and the lingering pain from the torture when he was awake. His weakened psyche was on complete overdrive, producing horrors long after that infernal interrogation was over. He didn't know what was real and what was his mind playing cruel tricks on him anymore. The only thing that grounded him to reality was a purple scarf his wife had gifted him not so long ago. Copy Nin held on to it like it was a lifeline, clutching the fabrique to his chest, all the while trying to replay the happier times with his wife in his head.

Later that night, when he was sufficiently recovered, Kakashi will lie on his bunk, the scarf still firmly wrapped around his chilled knuckles, and think about Hinata. How was she? How was Hanabi taking everything?

He would also reflect on everything that happened in the past 48 hours. It was all his fault. He thought he was cautious, he thought he had everything under control. When in reality he was stepping right into a trap. He's gotten careless, his marriage to Hinata and the happiness it brought him inebriated him. It wasn't Hinata's fault for being the best thing that has ever happened to him. It was his own fault for not being able to keep a cool head and allowing it to cloud his mind. In short, he was an idiot. An arrogant, selfish, lovesick idiot.

His only solace was knowing that his precious people were faring better than him. Naruto should have recovered by now, knowing his innate regeneration and Tsunade's impeccable care. Kakashi managed to endure this one day without spilling any information on his friends. He feared he wouldn't be able to keep that up for long, however.

He released a shaky sigh.

The pain he experienced was like nothing else he felt before. Even Itachi's Tsukuyomi wasn't as bad, although he suspected it was because the Uchiha genius went easy on him. Still, today Kakashi was on the verge of giving up multiple times, but every time he opened his mouth something stopped him from betraying his comrades. Instead, desperate pleas for the pain to stop were the only thing Danzou heard from him.

In his most hopeless moments hallucinations started to appear. He saw Minato-sensei, Rin and Obito, sometimes he saw his father. But most of the images that his unhinged mind conjured were of his wife, Hinata. He didn't know how, but somehow those visions helped him go through the torture without losing his mind.

Now, after many hours since his suffering, Kakashi's mind calmed enough. Nobody was eating his flesh and no fire was under his skin. For the first time in many hours Kakashi relaxed.

Even now Hinata was saving him. His guardian angel; her gentle, radiant image was enough to soothe him even when the pain made nothing else seem to matter.

With those thoughts, Kakashi awaited the sunrise with a little less anxiety. Come morning, his interrogation session will begin anew.

* * *

"Danzou, we hope you are not going to execute the prisoners."

The Hokage was at his desk, for the past hour listening to his former Councilors tell him what to do. Well, not so former, apparently.

"I was under the impression that you two were retired," he said, glaring at the pair of his "old friends".

"We were," Koharu nodded, "but the circumstances all but forced us to come back."

"We have never made an official retirement announcement, so we have never actually left," Homura added.

Smug old coots. Crawling out from their hole when they fully realized that Danzou couldn't afford to antagonize them. Not when they still held a lot of influence among Konoha clans, and definitely not in such unstable times. It was clear that the two were waiting for this moment to return and begin hindering him once again like they used to before Kakashi made them "retire". Damn that Kakashi and his scheming!

"Other Hidden Villages are condemning Konoha's actions and also urging the rebel prisoners to be treated fairly," meanwhile, councilman Homura continued.

"I'm sure you know that even the daimyō's court is starting to get interested," supplied Koharu.

Sometimes Danzou was unnerved by the ability of these two to perfectly end each other's words. They were right, however. Konoha was being pressured from all sides to follow their newly signed conventions and treat its prisoners humanely.

Damn all of them. It is always after a war that Hidden Villages start to cooperate and make agreements. Had there been no war, Konoha wouldn't have been forced to treat with other villages.

"I have to agree with you, my dear old friends," he conceded, turning away from the two to look in the window of his office. "Do not worry, no one will be executed. In fact, most of the rebels were released under a house arrest."

Their Hokage was in no mood to continue this discussion. Getting their clue, the Councilors proceeded to leave.

"Oh, and if you are planning our assassination, please wait until the situation in the village is stabilized. We'd like to die knowing that Konoha is safe and prospering."

Danzou rolled his eyes as the doors closed behind his former teammates. Koharu always had a snappy tongue, but she had nothing to worry about. The two of them were the least of Danzou's problems right now.

Unfortunately for him, the vast majority of rebels were members of powerful clans. Those ancient clans possessed unique skills and vast knowledge in their respective specialties for Danzou to simply dispose of them. Killing off the Nara, Inuzuka, Yamanaka and the likes would greatly weaken Konoha and make it ripe for the taking by the enemies. So, as much as he wanted to get rid of those traitors, he couldn't. Instead, Danzou opted to gradually replace their leaders with people loyal to him. That would ensure their obedience and allow Konoha to use their strength. He has already begun the process with the Hyuga clan, the most powerful noble family in the village.

Oppressed by the main house, the branch family was quick to side with Danzou. He gave them freedom, and they gave him Konoha in return. All of the main house members who could use the curse mark were either eliminated or imprisoned, allowing the branch house to take over with no fear of retribution. They didn't allow Danzou to take Hiashi, though. Something to do with clan honor and whatnot. The former Head of the Hyuga clan was under a house arrest in the Hyuga mansion. Personally, he would've killed Hiashi straight away, but either way, Danzou didn't care what happened to the man.

"No matter," the Hokage muttered, still looking out the wide window at the landscape of night Konoha.

He knew by heart where anything of importance was in his village. He could pick any clan compound out from the map blindfolded. Traitor or no traitor, he knew the value of every noble clan in Konoha. Their value being the power they provided. It seemed, however, that many of those clans did not realize that simple fact.

Naïve little fools. They did not believe in power and they clearly did not believe in their own Hokage!

He spent his whole life building the village up, protecting it from enemies all around, and that was the gratitude he gets? The most powerful clans in the Leaf were being led by _children_. No wonder they betrayed him. Those perishers couldn't possibly understand people like him. They were not even born when it was kill or be killed; were not there when Danzou had to fight people twice his size and age with his bare hands until those very hands gave out. When the hands gave out he fought with his legs, and when those gave out he used his teeth. By the end of it all, if you survived, you came stronger than before. Better. This is the reality of being shinobi. And if those snotty brats didn't understand that then he had no remorse in getting rid of them.

Feeling that he was starting to get worked up, Danzou made a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"No matter," he spoke again, quieter. His ruminations were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Enter," Danzou said, turning around in his chair to meet his Root operative. Finally, the real reason he was still in his office in the middle of the night. "Report."

"Hokage-sama, we were successful in locating and retrieving the target," he said after bowing to his master.

With those words, a new figure stepped inside the office. Despite their shaky gait and strained voice, they exuded a powerful aura on par with a Kage level shinobi.

"So, I am a target now?" the figure spoke mockingly, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they could barely stand. "You know, I was pretty surprised to discover that all my hideouts are a wreck, and there are no replacement bodies left for me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was you who destroyed them," the figure, who turned out to be a pale skinned man with long dark hair, gave a sinister grin to the Hokage at the desk before him.

Of course, it was Danzou who ordered all the hideouts destroyed, and both men knew that. With no replacement bodies, his "guest" now will have to accept Leaf's offer of alliance if he wanted to live.

"Welcome back to Konohagakure, Orochimaru."

Danzou couldn't help but return the smile. If he had no allies within his own village, then he will find allies outside of it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21.**

Danzou just returned from Hatake's morning interrogation session to discover that the person he was supposed to be waiting for was already in his office. Head of Konoha's ANBU division was a highly disciplined man, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he was overly punctual. As soon as he noticed his Hokage, the ANBU immediately stood up from his chair and bowed.

"You called for me, Hokage-sama."

Danzou smiled. Even though the ANBU commander always made sure to follow protocol there was no respect in his tone. It was clear that the man did not like his Hokage, and just followed him out of loyalty to the village.

"Yes, Shikibu, how are you doing? I have an important task for you."

The ANBU addressed didn't show any outwards reaction, but Danzou could sense the man tensing up almost imperceptibly when his hand touched his shoulder.

"What would that be?" asked Shikibu, notes of irritation seeping through his stoic façade. "I will need a few days to mobilise my forces, in any case."

He was the Head of ANBU for goodness's sake! He was one of the four main political powers in the village. Why does he need to personally listen to Danzou's whims? Wasn't it enough that his division was spread across the continent doing all the job while the Root were sitting around in the village doing nothing?

He didn't get to stew in his anger though, as he heard Danzou's next words.

"Oh, no, you don't understand. This task is only for _you_."

"What do you mean, sir?"

Instead of answering, his Hokage gave him another smile and asked a question of his own.

"You've been a part of ANBU for how many years now?"

"Twelve years, sir."

Danzou nodded, seemingly impressed.

"And how many missions have you completed?"

Something started to feel off for Shikibu. Nevertheless, he replied dutifully.

"Eight hundred, sir. 168 D-rank, 207 C-rank, 112 D-rank, 278 A-rank, 35 S-rank."

"Impressive," Danzou praised, not really meaning it.

Rising through the ranks prevented Shikibu from completing more missions, but his record still was one of the best in the force. He trained as hard as everybody else so no one could accuse him of slacking off either. The ANBU commander wondered what he was called here for? It couldn't be just to examine his qualifications, could it?

He didn't need to wonder for long, as the answer came soon enough.

"What do you think?" asked Danzou suddenly.

"I… I am not sure if I follow, sir," Shikibu responded, thinking the question was addressed to him.

"He'll do," echoed a sickly voice from behind.

Turning around, the Head of ANBU saw someone he would have never expected to see step foot in Hokage's office. What was Orochimaru doing in Konoha? Why was Danzou talking to him as if he invited the serpent himself? Before he could muster a reaction, he felt something prickle his neck. His instincts kicked in, and he jumped away as soon as the needle pierced the skin.

"What is going on? Have you lost your mind, Danzou?" he didn't even bother with protocol anymore.

"And I thought you were perceptive," tsk-tsked his Hokage. "You see, we needed a container for Orochimaru, and the choice fell on you. Though I still don't understand why we couldn't use that purple-haired former student of his."

"There is no need to struggle," Orochimaru chimed in with a half-amused smile on his face. "In a couple of seconds, you'll fall asleep and won't wake up again." He then turned to Danzou, "I told you that Anko's body would be unsuitable."

As the tranquilizer started taking its effect, Shikibu's anxiety subsided. Those two monsters casually chatted there while he was about to die. He really did pick the wrong side. He should've just followed Hatake's example and at least try to fight against Danzou. He regretted his decision to refuse Hatake help a year ago, when Danzou usurped the power.

Well, it was too late for it now.

"Damn… you…"

With those final words, the drug finally knocked the ANBU down.

Danzou and Orochimaru watched as the newly arrived Root agents dragged the unconscious body away.

"He is not the strongest shinobi your village has to offer, but his body will do," Orochimaru said, before following after the Root.

Hokage smirked. When Orochimaru takes over Shikibu's body, the snake will once again become the fearsome Sannin. It seemed Danzou gained a powerful ally today. All that was left was to destroy Naruto Uzumaki and nobody will be able to stand in his way.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the bowels of the Torture and Interrogation department, Kakashi lied sprawled on the cold floor of the torture room. Todays session was even worse than a day prior, but once again, he somehow pulled through without breaking. Moreover, his body seemed to start adapting to the strain, and he already felt like he could get up by himself. Kakashi didn't get to test his theory out because the door opened with a creak, allowing a feminine figure inside.

Momentarily blinded by the bright light that came from the open doorway, Copy Nin did not immediately recognize Anko Mitarashi, his batchmate from the Academy. Even so, he wasn't surprised to see her here, considering that she worked in this place under Ibiki.

"You look much better than yesterday, Hatake," she said by way of greeting.

"And you look like you've seen a ghost, Anko," Kakashi replied, allowing the woman to assist him in sitting up.

"You have no idea…" there was something sobering in her tone.

Ignoring the headache and his exhaustion, Copy Nin lifted his head to have a better look at the woman. His initial observation stood true; the confidence she typically exuded was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Anko looked anxious, almost panicked.

"What happened?" Kakashi prodded, sensing the woman's hesitation.

"He's back."

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. Only one person in all of the Elemental Nations could elicit such behavior from Anko.

"Orochimaru," he exhaled, not needing her to answer. It was written on her face.

Anko nodded, feeling the bile rise in her throat. How shameful! So many years have passed, and she still felt the anger like it was just yesterday that he betrayed her. She shouldn't feel anything. Orochimaru should be nothing to her.

"What… are you going to do?" he asked, wincing from a particularly labored movement. Perhaps he was hasty in thinking that he could recover _that_ quickly.

"You think I'm going to chop down on him and try to kill him?" Anko said, as if reading his thoughts. She smirked, memories she no doubt wasn't proud of resurfacing. "Been there, done that. Didn't turn out very well for me."

"Then… what?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting the hell out of here," the woman said as if it was the easiest thing to do. "Thought you might have a message for your 'dear wife'," she teased, mocking the way he always addressed Hinata.

Kakashi sighed, his lips stretching in a smile. His friends truly did not change a bit during all these years. There was no point in trying to dissuade Anko.

"Tell her and Hanabi that Hiashi is alive," he began, feeling a little embarrassed, "and tell Hinata I love her."

"Idiot. You don't say these kinds of things to a girl through a messenger," Anko scolded him, rolling her eyes. "You say that yourself once you get out of here."

"But what if I die before letting her know?" Kakashi asked, and Anko could see that it really bothered him. Why else would he even consider asking her to relay such a personal message?

"Then don't die," she replied simply, turning to leave. Before she re-opened the door, she addressed him one last time. "I'll tell her that you'll be alive."

'_The rest is up to you,_' was left hanging in the air as the door closed behind Anko's form.

Kakashi crawled to the nearest wall and sat leaning on it. Breathless, he faced the reinforced door. Soon the guards should come fetch him back to his cell. He wanted to use that time to rest and think properly. Before the exhaustion claims him and the nightmares come back...

Tsunade-sama and others should reach the borders of Konoha's lands by now. Anko was an outstanding shinobi, he had no doubt that she will somehow escape the village unnoticed. By the time they will notice her absence it will already be too late. The day of the final confrontation was coming near. Orochimaru's presence complicated things, but Kakashi was confident in his friends' abilities. Anko will let them know and they'll be prepared.

The door creaked again, signaling the guards' arrival, and Kakashi quietly slid back down on the floor. There was no need to let his guards know that he was recovering faster than he should. The chakra suppression binds on his wrists were problematic enough. He had to use every little thing to his advantage. If the enemy will underestimate him ever so slightly because of his current condition, then so be it.

* * *

Hinata stood at the edge of the refugee camp, a restless expression on her face. Having been waiting unmoving at the same spot for the whole morning, she began sensing the panic she so desperately tried to hold at bay creep back, along with the stiffness in her muscles.

Sasuke left in the middle of the night, claiming that he had to meet Naruto and Tsunade-sama midway and escort them here. It was almost afternoon and none of them was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry, sis, they'll be here soon," she heard Hanabi's voice from behind.

Turning around, she saw her little sister carrying two bowls of rice. The girl came up to her, offering one of the portions. Thanking her silently, Hinata halfheartedly picked on the food.

How could she not worry when the fate of everyone, including Kakashi, depended on whether Naruto and others will arrive soon or not. People at the camp have become anxious…

"Oh, by the way, there is this ninja lady," Hanabi began, remembering something. "She just arrived from Konoha, no idea how she managed, but–"

The speed with which Hinata turned back could make even Lee jealous.

"What? Who? Where?" she gripped Hanabi's shoulders, shaking the girl with each question.

"Oneesan, relax, she should be coming soon," she replied, trying to escape Hinata's hold. "Oh, there she is."

With those words, Hanabi gestured behind her sister. Hinata saw an older woman with dark purple hair approaching them. She immediately recognized her as the toukubetsu jounin, one of Kakashi's peers.

"Finally, I found you," Anko said, a sigh escaping her lips, "I swear, Hatake is rubbing off on you." It was only at the opposite side of the camp that she finds her.

At the mention of Kakashi, both Hinata and Hanabi practically raced to the woman.

"Is he okay?"

"Did you see him?"

"Wow, wow, hold on," Anko said, backing off a little from the eager pair. "I'll tell you everything about your precious Kakashi-kun, just let me sit down. It's been a very stressful journey here." She stretched her shoulders to make her point.

The sisters waited impatiently while Anko slowly made herself comfortable. They could swear she was doing it deliberately just to tick them off. Nevertheless, as soon as she was done she went straight to the point, telling them everything about Kakashi, Orochimaru and what was happening in Konoha.

"… by the way, your father is alive too," she finished her tale, pulling a pack of dango from the pocket of her trenchcoat, frowning a little as she realized it was the last one.

While she was busy eating her sweets, Hinata and Hanabi were busy digesting everything she'd told them. Anko smirked as identical grins slowly appeared on the girls' faces. The special jounin took the Hyuga sisters' distraction as an opportunity to observe them. It was clear that they were relieved. It seemed the confirmation of Kakashi and their father being alive had invigorated them as the two started talking animatedly, discussing their next actions.

Who would've thought that Hatake will find a family? Certainly not Anko. But the evidence was right there before her eyes. These girls looked like the ones who'd make that idiot happy.

'_Don't you dare to die now, Hatake,_' she thought to herself. If he dies now that everything is finally seeming to be going well for him… Well, then they'd have to bring him back if only just to kill him again themselves.

Mood markedly improved, the three of them rested on the cool morning grass, each in their own world, when they heard a commotion on the other side of the camp. Turning their heads, they saw a flock of large unnatural looking birds approach their encampment from the sky.

"What the…"

It was the first time Anko saw so many of Sai's birds gathered in one place. There probably were a couple dozen of them, all much bigger than what he'd usually summon. They seemed to carry some boxes as well – how strange. All that was forgotten, however, when they flew closer, as Anko noticed people mounted on them and couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Tsunade-sama! Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted, even going as far as using her Byakugan to make sure it was really them.

"Finally."

Hanabi's remark couldn't have been more appropriate.

The crowd parted to allow the giant birds some space to land, and as soon as their ink feet hit the ground Naruto jumped down. People cheered from all around, the Hero of the Leaf was finally there, accompanied by the former Hokage no less. They'd make sure everything will be fine.

The blond hero himself, a little overwhelmed by all the attention, just scratched the back of his head.

"He-he, I'm glad to see you too."

The crowd halted when Sasuke came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Clearly, the man was still considered a criminal among Konoha's populace.

"He's with me, guys," Naruto reassured, smacking the Uchiha's back so hard the man almost lost his balance. "He'll help us defeat Danzou and then we can all talk whatever issues out together."

That seemed to somewhat comfort the people, and Naruto moved on. He gestured to the large crates they brought with them from the Land of Snow. In all the bustle and excitement nobody paid attention to those containers strapped to Sai's birds. Eight ninja hounds led by Pakkun stood at attention beside the crates. Naruto gave a signal and Kakashi's ninken summons broke them open. A heap of ammunition slid out of the crates, shocking the refugees. There was everything – armor, swords, spears, shields, even bows and arrows!

This could only mean one thing.

"Together, we will take back our village and establish a new government. The one that is fair and just to everyone, shinobi or not!" Naruto rallied, pumping his fist up. "What happened over the course of the past year was eye-opening to me and Granny Tsunade. Konoha's system as of now is far from ideal, and we promise we'll work hard to make it as good as possible. In return, we just ask for your help."

A collective gasp echoed through the whole camp. They wanted them to fight against Danzou?! From the lost expressions on their faces Hinata could already tell that things weren't going to be as smooth as Naruto perhaps imagined.

"Why shocked faces?" Tsunade's voice roared, making even Shizune who stood nearby recoil. "Need I remind you that while we fought the war Danzou usurped the power? Or that he put your beloved Naruto in prison? Now, he destroys your village and you still expect us to be all friendly with the bastard?!" She nodded in the direction of the weapons they brought. "These are not some regular armor and weapons. It is the newest development of the Land of Snow – the anti-jutsu weaponry. That armor is resistant to any type of chakra attack, and the weapons are just as deadly as any other blade."

The Fifth Hokage's authority was such that even a few words spoken with rigor were enough to make people fall in line. This time, however, it didn't seem to be enough. It wasn't that people didn't want to get rid of Danzou, no. By this time everybody in Konoha was more or less fed up with their despotic Hokage.

"They are afraid to fight," Hinata muttered, feeling anger boil within her. Even with that powerful armor they were scared.

Tsunade seemed to realize that too, for disappointment washed over her face. She looked everyone present over; there had to be more than a thousand people in this camp! All of them harmed by the government, all of them had to abandon their homes just because they were picked out to be suspects by Root. And now, when they finally have a chance to fight back, they refuse?

"What's wrong with you, people!?" they heard an angry voice from somewhere.

Heads turned, only to see a girl no older than thirteen stare at them with disgust.

"So many people sacrificed themselves for you, and now that you have a chance to pay them back, you are all cowering with your tails between your legs!" Hanabi said, unable to hold her rage.

Her words only seemed to provoke the civilians even more.

"It's because of your rebellion we are in this state. Other people could safely return to Konoha, but people like us who were unjustly prosecuted will be arrested!" one man shouted back.

"Yeah, we stayed here in this camp because you told us that you'll talk things out with Danzou and he'll let us come back," seconded another woman. "We knew nothing about your plans to fight Hokage."

The crowd started to get more and more agitated. People started arguing among themselves. Some were even directly accusing Tsunade-sama and the Resistance. Hanabi was seething. She looked like she might attack one of them if it went on any further.

Hinata's eyes darted between the angry mob and her friends, and the words left her mouth by themselves.

"Will everyone SHUT UP!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, coming to stand beside Naruto.

Immediately, all the fighting stopped. People looked at her, silenced by their shock. Even Tsunade seemed like she couldn't believe her ears. It was no secret that Hinata was one of the gentlest people in Konoha, and few haven't heard the tales of the timid Hyuga princess disowned by her father for her softness.

All the more terrifying was her outrage.

"Are you citizens of Konohagakure or not? Naruto is not asking you to fight for him," she gestured to the blond jinchuuriki, "he is asking you to fight _with _him. And even if you refuse this request to the person who has the _least _obligation before you, he is still going to fight!"

Hinata looked around at the people who surrounded them. A sea of faces, hundreds of them. All sporting guilty expressions. They all remembered how they treated Naruto in the past, and how he, despite their mistreatment, had saved their village not once but twice.

"He will still fight for you. For us! But this time I am not going to stand aside and let him sacrifice himself for our village. I will be fighting alongside him!" Hinata's words resounded, causing a number of heads to look up at her.

"Me too!" they heard Hanabi shout from her side.

"Hn," Sasuke nodded, followed by everyone else from their group.

One by one, Tsunade, Shizune, Sai and Anko pledged themselves to the cause. It was everyone else's turn now.

There was complete silence. Nobody dared to speak for a long while, until one middle aged man broke off from the crowd. Slowly, he approached the Hatake's wife.

"I didn't realize it at the time, but your husband saved my life," he spoke to Hinata so that everyone could hear. "I am a mere vendor; was selling fast-food on the street when one crazy shinobi destroyed my stall and tried to kill me. But Hatake-san stopped him and arrested us both."

Everyone gasped but were quickly reassured by the vendor.

"My reaction was similar to yours. I spent a month in a detention center, and I began to hate the man that put me in there. Imagine my surprise, however, when my family was given a check for money roughly equal to what I would earn had I not been imprisoned, plus some on top to cover for additional expenses. I was happy to have at least that, but turns out Hatake-san did more than that… When I came to my usual place with a brand-new stall, other vendors told me that the ninja who tried to kill me had been looking for me. Thankfully he stopped searching after a few weeks, right before my release," he said, turning to the crowd. "That was when I realized that Hatake-san put me in prison not to punish me, but to save me from that brute's revenge. He then killed that man with his own hands, from what I heard protecting the Aacademy students. I owe my life to the Hatake clan," he bowed to Hinata, "and we all owe our lives to Naruto Uzumaki."

With those words he picked up a random sword from the pile, clearly letting everyone else know on whose side he was going to fight.

Hinata smiled, feeling immense pride for her husband. Even now, so many miles away he continued to save her. She hoped others would follow the vendor's example and find something to help defeat the fear in them. Konoha's famous Will of Fire could not burn so dim. Just as the thought passed her mind a boy ran up to the crates and picked a bow.

"My name is Saburou!" he exclaimed proudly, "and I am the best bowman in Konoha. It would be a shame for me not to use my skills against the bad guys. I saw Hatake once, and I can't say that he is a bad guy."

Despite the boy's cocky statement and more than a little flawed logic, his heart was in the right place. People looked surprised and even more ashamed to be outdone by a child, but still nobody was eager to step forth. Until the next person spoke up, that is.

"He is right!" they heard a feminine voice. Turning to the direction of the voice, Hinata's eyes widened when she recognized the woman that appeared out of the crowd. "My name is Fukuda Chiyo, and I am a teacher at the Ninja Academy. I returned from my vacation in the Land of Hotsprings to discover our village in shambles. People were pouring from the gates; I couldn't even peek inside to see what was going on – so many of you were running through. But I did witness one thing," she spoke heatedly, "Kakashi Hatake and all the other shinobi who fought Danzou surrendered in exchange for your freedom!"

The accusation rang true. It was obvious to everyone else who exactly was present at that time, for these people's faces hung low in shame at the memory. Fukuda continued, mercilessly tearing down the citizens of Konoha.

"Brave men are a city's strongest tower of defence," she said, fire behind her eyes. "No wonder Konoha fell…"

Shaking her head in disappointment, the literature teacher quietly went up to the crates and picked a spear for herself. There were no Academy students with them today to show just how loyal ninjas could be to their village. As their teacher, she had to uphold the same values, otherwise she couldn't be able to look them in the eye, much less teach them anything.

Hinata stood, impressed by the three civilians' bravery. And it seemed not only she alone. Fukuda's speech seemed to trigger a chain reaction, as more and more people volunteered to receive their gear. It wasn't long until all of the weapons were distributed among the villagers. In fact, there weren't enough, so many of Konohans opted to fight with whatever they could find. It seemed only a moment ago they were afraid to touch the weapons, and now they were adamant to battle in their kimonos, armed with hoes and shovels.

"Good job, Hinata," the woman heard Tsunade praise her as their makeshift army lined up for the tally. "These people would be lost had you not spoken up."

Hinata didn't feel like she deserved any recognition, but nodded, nevertheless. Watching the determined but still very much anxious faces of her comrades, she addressed the people one last time.

"Naruto earned the right to call himself a citizen of Konoha, even though he shouldn't have had to. Today it's our turn!"

As soon as the words left her lips the crowd erupted in a roar. Armor clanked, weapons were raised, people cheered one last time before the most important battle in their lives. They knew what they signed up for, and they didn't want to keep being cowards anymore. Hatake-san was right, it was their village. If they wanted ninjas to treat them equally, they had to help when their shinobi had trouble fighting by themselves.

"Couldn't have said better myself," Tsunade commented with a smirk.

"Just thought it would be something Kakashi would say," Hinata explained, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, trust me, that robot would never dream of saying something like that," Tsunade argued, making Anko and Shizune nod in agreement.

"Yeah, he'd probably say something along the lines of, 'Don't worry, by my calculations, only 7% of you will die'," Hanabi snickered.

"That's not true!" Hinata exclaimed, outraged on her husband's behalf. "Kakashi is a great leader."

Everyone burst into laughter. Hinata looked at them quizzically, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"Relax, neechan," Hanabi said, "we are just teasing. But you gotta admit that Gray-hair is not the best motivational speaker."

Hinata still couldn't agree. Although she didn't want to give them any more ground to tease her about, so she decided to ignore it. Besides, they had more important matters to deal with. Namely, their strategy for the upcoming siege. From Anko's information, Orochimaru joined forces with Danzou, which added to the list of their problems.

'_Hold on for one more day, guys,_' Hinata spoke in her head, thinking of all her friends in Konoha.

Soon, everything will end, and they'll once again be free.

* * *

**And so the day of final confrontation draws near.**

**Danzou, Orochimaru + Root and loyalists -VS- Naruto, Sasuke, Tsunade + friends and equipped civilians. Which team do you think is stronger?**

**Btw, do you guys remember those side characters from previous chapters?**

**As always, thank you for reading. I hope my little fantasy brought at least some positive emotions to you guys.**

**P.S. I do not write Author's Notes particularly often, because I think it can distract from the story. But this time I couldn't help it. Sorry**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22.**

"The branch house has always been loyal, but the main house abused their power. You brought this on yourself."

"I understand you need to justify your betrayal, Iroha," Hiashi Hyuga coolly replied, "but you don't have to tell your excuses to me."

The leader of the Hyuga main house, held captive in his own home.

"It's not betrayal. We simply– We didn't kill anybody," Iroha of the branch house argued, feeling even himself the weakness of that statement.

"You did not. Your actions did."

Iroha couldn't argue with that. While the branch house did not kill a single Hyuga, there was no reason to say that their alliance with Danzou hadn't. But that was nothing compared to the potential casualties that would've surely happened if this war continued to rage on. If not for the Hyugas, Danzou wouldn've won so decisively, and consequently, much more people would've died.

Iroha's reasoning fell on deaf ears, as the former Hyuga clan Head was no longer paying attention to him. The guard took it as his cue to leave, which he gladly did after asking if their captive needed anything else one last time.

Escaping the imposing man's presence, Iroha kept convincing himself that there was no other choice. At least the Hyuga clan was still alive, including the main branch. Much like Hiashi, they were isolated and confined mostly to their rooms. It wasn't ideal, but the branch house outnumbered the main family, so there was little threat from whatever tricks their suppressed relatives might have.

The main threat was their leader, Hiashi himself. The word goes that he made an agreement with the branch house to spare the main family in exchange for their surrender. Iroha didn't want to believe it, but so far Hiashi's behavior had been uncharacteristically passive. They used chakra suppressors on him, but it seemed there was no need, the man made no attempt to escape.

All he did was have tea. All the time. Iroha, who'd been unfortunate to get assigned guarding duties was forced to deliver the captive's chamomile-green tea blend. He wondered how Hiashi's bladder was still intact with all the tea he was consuming.

* * *

Meanwhile, what Konoha shinobi remained of the Resistance were discussing their plan of attack.

"Even with Naruto and Sasuke it's going to be a tough fight," Tsunade said soberly. "Both idiots each lost an arm and the knucklehead is not in his best shape after a year in prison."

Naruto and Sasuke did not dispute the woman's claims. They knew it was true. They were not in their best condition. It will likely take them years to learn how to fight properly with only one arm. The Uchiha avenger didn't know about his friend, but he wasn't ever going to replace the lost limb.

"But they are still more powerful than that old man, Danzou, aren't they?" argued Shizune. "And as one of the Sannin, Tsunade-sama is roughly the same level as Orochimaru."

"We shouldn't underestimate Danzou," Sai chimed in. "He is the leader of Root for a reason."

"Sai is right. People like Danzou always have a trick up their sleeve. Just take the Sharingans that give him a second life, for example."

"Izanagi is a powerful jutsu indeed. However, from my last battle with him, I think he's got only one Sharingan left to perform it," Sasuke revealed, easing his comrades' worries a little.

"You sure?" Tsunade asked. The Fifth Hokage didn't need to explain why that information was critical to them.

"I'm not entirely sure, but he shouldn't have many. One, maybe two, at most."

"You heard that!" the blonde barked. "No fooling around Danzou."

Everyone nodded. There was no fooling around Orochimaru either, if Anko was being honest.

"That leaves us with the plan of action," Hinata muttered, eyes focused on the map of Konoha on the table.

They have been at it for the better part of the morning, and still hadn't come up with any semblance of a strategy. One way or another it boiled down to simply forcing through the enemy's defenses and overwhelming Danzou with Naruto and Sasuke's combined power. Didn't exactly sound as a well thought out plan. If only Kakashi or Shikamaru were here…

Fortunately for them, Kakashi left behind someone who was well versed in these kinds of things. Hanabi looked around, and after confirming that nobody had anything to say, decided to finally make an input.

"I have an idea."

Several heads turned at her in disbelief.

"You? But you are… You know…" Naruto was struggling to choose correct words.

"I may be only a kid, but don't forget who my family is. Between Father's tutoring and Gray-hair's teaching, I think I can help at least a little."

"Who is…?"

"She means Kakashi," Hinata clarified, an encouraging smile on her face.

Her little sister had a keen mind for such things, and Kakashi was arguably one of the best tacticians in the world. Hinata had complete faith in whatever plan Hanabi had come up with. And not she alone, it seemed.

"We are listening," Tsunade voiced everyone's thoughts. Age could be deceiving, she would know.

Seeing as all attention was on her, Hanabi somewhat nervously began.

"Here is the plan…"

And so, the group spent a little over twenty minutes hearing Hanabi's suggestion out. It was a solid tactic, they had to admit. The plan was to send themselves first on a fake attack, leaving their civilian forces behind a good distance away in an ambush, so that they will be unnoticed by the enemy's Byakugan. After their initial "attack" failed, make it seem as if they were retreating to draw enemy in right into their trap. This strategy of feigned retreat was a somewhat obscure form of warfare to ninjas, and much more widely used by regular non-shinobi armies.

"This… is not a bad idea," commented Sasuke, impressed by the girl's resourcefulness. "Danzou doesn't know that we have acquired the support of the civilians, so the ambush will come as a complete surprise."

"And because they are civilians, they are less likely to be deemed as a threat by the enemy Hyugas," added Hinata.

It was unlikely that Danzou himself will give chase, but he will be certain to lose a good portion of his troops if their strategy works. Mentally, Hanabi thanked Kakashi's mentorship. His lessons on battle strategy provided great insight. Most shinobi are only concerned with becoming more powerful. Rarely do they think about learning anything unless it directly improves their skill.

Kakashi was not most shinobi. And Hanabi will follow his example.

She now understood why he was a living legend. There were three people in this room who could easily be considered as more powerful than him. Yet, Kakashi had seen more action than two of these people combined and probably even more than the third, despite her older age. This was more than anything a testament to Copy Ninja's abilities. He won battles with his brains and not his jutsu, even though it was the latter that he was so infamous for. Kakashi, Hanabi realized, was a more dangerous opponent in the long run than even the likes of Naruto and Sasuke.

"If you guys agree on my plan, I have some more suggestions."

Now even Hinata was surprised. Hanabi was smart, but to come up with even more…

"Go on," Tsunade urged once again, with everyone listening more attentively this time. The Fifth Hokage smirked, watching the girl brainstorm ideas; clearly, Hatake wasn't slacking off with this one. She may have been Hokage, but the truth was she wasn't a good strategist. She was a medic first and foremost, all the stuff about politics and battles only ever gave her headache.

"What poses the most danger in our enemy?" Hanabi asked suddenly, eyeing the adults one by one.

"Izanagi," Sasuke said.

"Orochimaru," answered Anko.

"Root," Sai shot back.

Hinata and Tsunade both shook their heads, smirking.

"The Hyugas," the younger woman said, confident in her answer.

"Neesan is right," Hanabi announced with a matching smile. "Think about it: the Byakugan provides unobstructed, absolute vision. Any attemps at sneaking, any jutsu – all will be noticed. Not to mention that the Hyuga clan's numbers contribute significantly to Danzou's forces."

"I see," said Sasuke, stroking his chin, "you have a plan to deal with them. Does it have anything to do with that Cursed Mark seal you mentioned the day before?"

Hanabi smiled. To remember such detail and correctly deduce her plan from it; the Uchiha truly was Gray-hair's student. Everyone else, however, seemed confused.

It was Tsunade's turn to explain things.

"The mark they are talking about is a seal placed on every member of the branch house. When activated by a member of the main family it causes debilitating pain, rendering the victim completely defenseless," the blonde said, looking at the Hyuga sisters for confirmation.

Hinata nodded. "And we happen to have two members of the Hyuga clan's main house with us."

"Really? Who?"

Everyone facepalmed.

"I find it hard to believe that Naruto can be that dumb," Sai commented, provoking their blond friend even more.

"Trust me, he really is," Sasuke deadpanned. To not be aware of such a simple fact about someone you've known for many years…

"I was just joking, no need to insult me, dattebayo," Naruto grumbled, turning away from his teammates indignantly.

Everyone shared a brief timeout to laugh at their friend's antics before getting back on track with their discussion. They planned and prepared until the rest of the day, by the end of which everyone, including their civilian comrades was aware of their strategy.

Later that day, when everyone was already back inside their tents taking some much-needed rest, a certain Hyuga will remain outside and ponder.

Early January usually brought warmer weather, and together with it, clearer nights. Tonight was one of those clear, serene nights. Yet, Hinata found herself unable to go to bed, even though her sister was already sound asleep in their tent a few steps away. Despite the disappearance of snow, air was still crisp, but the cold Hinata felt had nothing to do with the temperature around.

It was the third night she spent apart from Kakashi, and wife couldn't help but worry for her husband. From Anko's words he is alive but being alive was hardly the only thing important to Hinata. How was he? How well was Ibiki treating him? These are the questions Hinata found asking herself when her mind wasn't being occupied by the thoughts of their impending battle.

To put it simply, she missed Kakashi.

"Just you wait, we are coming for you," she whispered into the night, before turning back towards her tent.

Tomorrow was an important day, and she had to force herself to rest somehow.

* * *

Miles away in the center of Konoha, Danzou was coming back from yet another failed interrogation session with Hatake. His frown deepened when the door opened before him, revealing his ever-present councilors.

"The torture didn't go well, I take it?" Koharu sneered.

Her companion sent the woman a pointed look. Danzou clearly was vexed, but she didn't have to rub it in his face.

"I have little patience to deal with your games. What do you want?"

Yeah. Their Hokage definitely wasn't in the mood. Homura cleared his throat before Koharu could antagonize him more.

"We've heard of the sudden 'disappearance' of our ANBU commander, as well as a number of 'suicides' that seem to plague the arrested rebels lately," the old man laid it out for Danzou, raising his brow.

"So, you suggest it has something to do with me?" asked their Hokage, no attempt at hiding his true feelings on the matter.

"Cut it out, Shimura, we all know that it's your doing!" exploded Koharu. "Don't you see what pit you are pushing yourself into?"

"Your control is slipping, Danzou," Homura finished.

Danzou had enough with those two, constantly poking their noses where they shouldn't! He wasn't an idiot. He was perfectly aware of how dire his situation was. Which was why he still didn't execute that bastard, Kakashi. He needed the information on the rest of the rebellion. He couldn't even spare men to keep an eye on those lazy refugees holed up in the forest twenty miles away. The jinchuuriki and that Uchiha criminal were too dangerous to be left to their own devices. Not to mention Tsunade. She was no doubt itching to take Konoha for herself.

"I am aware of the attitudes around in Konoha," he forced through gritted teeth. "Which is why I am pulling most of the ANBU stationed in foreign lands back to the village. We will lose presence in our enemies lands but at least the situation here will be stabilized."

Homura shook his head while Koharu who stood beside humphed derisively. Their old friend has changed. Years ago, when they were still young and Hiruzen was his best friend, Danzou recognized the value of compassion. Now it seemed power was the only thing he had faith in. Bringing in more military to fight his own people… Did he truly think that would end well?

"You think sensei would've approved of your actions if he were with us?" Homura asked, one last attempt to make Danzou see reason.

To their Hokage, that remark seemed to be the last straw instead.

"Tobirama-sensei is not with us!" Danzou roared in anger, completely losing his composure. Chair screeched back as he abruptly stood and documents flew out of his desk, scattering all around the office. Realizing his slip up, Danzou took a few deep breaths and returned back as if nothing happened, the papers lying on the floor, ignored. "He is not here," he muttered, lifting his gaze from the desk back to the stunned councilors. "You may leave."

Disappointed, the pair did as asked after recovering from Danzou's outburst. There was no hope for their old friend. It was too late for words – his issue lied much deeper within his heart.

"I don't care what you think, sensei," Danzou uttered when he was alone once again. "You were wrong."

They all were making a mistake. Tobirama-sensei… Saru… All of them. The fact that they were dead and he was still alive only further proved it. This world is merciless. History doesn't care about justice, because those who win and survive are the ones to write it. And justice is whatever those who win say.

Second Hokage was wrong to sacrifice his life for them. Just as Hiruzen was wrong to do the same. Strong shouldn't protect the weak. Rather, weak must become stronger to protect themselves. And that will never happen if strong keep throwing their lives away for those who don't deserve it.

'Konoha is her people…', 'Konoha is younger generations…' Feh!

Konoha is the power she exerts on others, the mark it leaves in the history of this world! And Danzou would do anything to preserve the true Konoha.

* * *

**This chapter is a short prelude to the battle. Consider it as a calm before the storm.**

**Once again, thanks you guys for your support and criticizm. Believe me when I say that it helps A LOT. There is like 60k words worth of story I ultimately ended up discarding because it was crap and you guys deserve better. Even though I'm not a good writer, I try to do my best. **

**What I'm trying to say, I guess, is feel free to point out any mistakes. Cheers.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23.**

Konoha was beautiful.

The thought spontaneously came to Hinata while she was scouting out the village with her Byakugan. Hyugas were not allowed to use their doujutsu in Konoha, but today was an exception. Hinata used this as an opportunity to drink in the sight of her village before it possibly changed forever. She could see the Leaf from any magnification, and by God it was beautiful. Stylized, uniform architecture with quaint streets and plenty of greenery still kept Konoha alluring even after so many generations of war and destruction.

Hinata sighed. Hopefully, what was to come won't change that. Satisfied with her observations, she turned around to face her Hokage and their small strike force.

"As expected, Root is policing the streets. They are everywhere," she reported.

"Good. That makes them more spread out," Tsunade nodded. "Makes our initial attack even easier."

Hinata glanced at her friends, all of them gathered up behind Tsunade. Everyone was in their battle gear, even Shizune. They were prepared. As were the civilians that hid behind in the forest a few miles away.

"Are you ready, neesan?" she heard Hanabi's voice, slightly worried.

"I am," Hinata simply said, nodding and putting on her bandana.

Normally, she wore her headband loosely around her neck, but for their plan to work she had to change that. She also dyed her hair a dark brown color to match an average Hyuga. She was to pretend to be one of the branch house members after all. Hinata would then infiltrate the village while Hanabi stayed with the main forces as their source of information on the battlefield.

"Alright, guys, it's time to move," they all heard Tsunade's order and immediately advanced.

They ran as fast as they could, because once they reached a certain distance they will inevitably be spotted by the enemy. To avoid revealing Hinata, they used shadow clones. A whole lot of them. Thankfully, Naruto had chakra in abundance, even though his physical condition was not the best.

For a few minutes they ran in peace, until the first wave of attack was launched from Konoha.

"They spotted us," Ino reported, glancing at Sai. The whole group adjusted their maneuvering to accommodate for the missiles flying their way. Expertly dodging the enemy's long-range jutsu, their group was only slightly hindered in their advance.

Hearing his signal, the artist ninja nodded, pulling out a clean scroll and quickly drawing a bird. As soon as the inky creature materialized, Ino and Tsunade jumped on it and began their ascension. They won't be taking part in the fight for a while. They had a more important role to fulfil as part of their plan.

The rest of their squad, which now consisted of Hinata, Hanabi, team 7, Anko and Shizune continued their sprint towards Konoha. The enemy's missile jutsu were now expectedly focused on Tsunade and Ino in the sky, so it was only a matter of time until their ground attack reached the village.

The ground shook with explosions. Fire flared in the sky. The smell of smoke hit their nostrils. Everybody on the field now knew – the battle had begun.

So did everyone watching from afar.

"You think they'll make it?" asked Akino, the distant exlposions flashing in his sunglasses even from miles away.

"Of course," Pakkun replied, turning away from the carnage to address his fellow ninken. "Remember the plan? As soon as they breach the wall we must report back to the main force. If something goes wrong we are cleared to improvise."

Everyone nodded. Their Boss's friends relied on them. These shinobi all had to be present during the initial attack, and so the role of maintaining communication and commanding their ambush had fallen on the ninken.

"Am I the only one to find it kinda ironic? That we are supposed to give orders to those humans now?" Biscuit asked, a little apprehensive due their unexpected responsibility.

"Heh, you are right," Pakkun snorted. "But we can't help being the most capable out of everyone who stayed back, so let's do our best."

"Yeah!" the rest of them chorused, following after their leader towards the forest.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

"So far so good," Naruto said as his clones smashed into the enemy lines. White smoke filled the air as the doubles burst from Root's retaliation. This heavy shroud was used by the friends to pass even further in relative cover.

Wasn't long until the blond jinchuuriki's onslaught was in danger of getting destroyed, however. Enemy seemed to combine their jutsu into one large Fire Release technique and send it towards the advancing group. The massive wall of fire would've consumed all of them if it weren't for Sasuke's Amaterasu.

"Don't get too cocky, idiot," the Uchiha retorted almost immediately as his black flames overpowered the enemy's fire and forced them to retreat.

Everyone else paused to catch their breath and stared at the ridiculous power displays from the two. As soon as Sasuke dissolved his Amaterasu it was their turn to showcase their abilities. They tried to use their flashiest, most powerful techniques to draw the enemy's attention while Hanabi and Hinata were sneaking deeper inside the village in all the havoc. They could have been watched, so they made extra effort to make it look as if Hinata was chasing Hanabi.

When they were a good distance away from the battle, Hanabi purposefully slowed down. To make it seem as if she was getting tired and allow Hinata to catch up to her. The girl looked back and indeed, her sister was closing the distance. Farther back behind her, the battle still carried on. With her Byakugan it was clear that more and more of the Root and Hyuga forces of Danzou's were being relocated to that spot. Inadvertently, she caught civlians evacuating the area or hiding inside their houses. She felt guilty attacking her own village and endangering all those innocents, but there was no other choice.

Finally, it was time for Hanabi to get caught by the "branch member" of her clan. Still looking back, she made a show of tripping and allowing disguised Hinata to pin her down. The move was timely as there were two more Hyuga enemies who noticed them and were coming up.

"They are coming," Hanabi whispered to her sister, who was holding her down on the ground.

"What's going on here?" they heard a voice.

"Don't you recognize her," asked Hinata loudly.

Confidence was key, and even a minimal disguise was enough to fool almost anyone in highly stressful situations. It seemed the branch house member didn't recognize Hinata, as his eyes widened in surprise.

"I see, it really is her," he said, taking a closer look at Hanabi.

The second ninja looked just as lost as the first one. Obviously, those two weren't comfortable with taking their relative, much less a child, captive.

"What's going to happen to her?" asked one of them.

"They'll probably deal with her later, there is a more urgent problem right now," Hinata replied, hinting that they needed to deliver Hanabi back to the compound.

Their two companions shared a look.

"You are right," said the first unsurely, glancing in the direction of the battle.

"You know," the second started, "will you be able to deliver Hanabi… san yourself? I think we are needed back at the gate."

Hinata mentally celebrated. Those two were definitely trying to push the responsibility on her. Even now, when the branch house was calling all the shots, some of its members were reluctant to harm members of the main family.

"Sure," she replied easily, tightening her hold on Hanabi's shoulder.

Once their interference left, Hinata made sure to tamper the chakra suppression binds on her sister's wrists, so that when the time comes, she could easily free herself. Then, the two rushed to the mansion. Their trek there was as uneventful as before, and Hinata took the opportunity to monitor the ongoing fight back at the gates. Sasuke and Naruto, with the support of everyone else, were repelling wave after wave of enemies. However, Hinata could see everyone's chakra was steadily getting lower. Soon they will have to retreat and initiate the second phase of their plan.

"We are here," she heard Hanabi whisper when they finally reached the compound.

The guards looked as shocked as those two Hyuga they met earlier, and just like them, they allowed Hinata and her captive entrance without a hitch. It was when Hinata brought Hanabi to their Father's room that the problems began.

Hinata immediately recognized the person who was guarding her father. And it seemed that Iroha had also recognized her, despite the different hair color. He couldn't do anything, though, as Hinata quickly knocked him down before what was happening registered in his mind. Iroha's prone body flew through the door, breaking it off its hinges and into Hiashi's room, making Hinata wince. She didn't mean that.

The Head of their clan stood abruptly, prepared for a fight, when he saw who was standing in the doorframe.

"Hanabi? Hinata?" he asked, not believing his eyes.

"There is no time, Father," Hanabi said, we are getting us out of here.

Hiashi Hyuga looked at his daughters' determined faces before nodding. They clearly had a plan.

The three of them rushed along the corridors, neutralizing every Hyuga guard on their way and freeing their relatives from the main house. Hiashi made sure not to kill anyone using the Curse Mark. Even though they betrayed him, they were kind enough to spare everyone in the main family and treated them with respect. They were basically hostages rather than prisoners, and for that, Hiashi will not enforce unnecessary violence upon the branch house. It was easy to defeat them anyway, as Hiashi could disable evey single one of them with a single hand seal. In less than half an hour, the whole Hyuga clan main house was liberated, all of them ready to fight.

"Now what do we do?" asked their leader, as the last guard was knocked out and neutralized.

"Now we help everyone else," replied Hanabi.

Hiashi smiled, making everyone stare at the patriarch. In those thirteen years since his wife died, Hiashi Hyuga hasn't properly smiled not even once. Seeing him genuinely smile now was even more shocking than getting freed by his daughters.

"I like your plan," Hiashi said. "Let's start with Inuzukas."

This made sense, considering that those were the fiercest opposers of Danzou's regime. Their prowess in direct confrontation also made them a good choice for the first ones to be set free. Unfortunately, Hinata won't be able to help them with that.

"Father, may I ask for a favor?" she addressed him, steeling her expression.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"Please spare some men to help me get Kakashi out," she beseeched, hoping he'd hear her out.

To her surprise, he didn't argue at all.

"Of course. Without Hatake we all would've been in a much worse position. Through you, he is also part of our family," Hiashi acknowledged. "Take twenty good men and go save your husband."

That was as far as he'd go in admitting that Hinata was his daughter and not just a Hyuga. Hinata smiled to him, bowing in gratitude. The squad of twenty of her relatives had already assembled beside her.

Hiashi watched his eldest daughter depart and hoped that after all of this is over, he'd get a chance to sit down with her and properly explain why he disowned her and made Hanabi the heir. He didn't expect her to forgive him, but still wanted to at least explain his actions.

"Father, shall we go?" he heard Hanabi say beside him, and he nodded, ordering the rest of his clan to move out.

* * *

Danzou couldn't believe what was happening.

How could a group of insurgents barge in his village and wreak so much havoc? And where were his dear old councilors, Homura and Koharu?

"You really are arrogant, aren't you?" he heard Orochimaru sneer from beside him.

Danzou glared at his ally, it wasn't his fault those damn Hyugas were so honorable. They refused to destroy their enemy, and now their enemy was going to destroy them. They were at a risk of a snowball effect, with the Hyugas other clans were surely to rebel. It seemed it was time for Danzou to resort to drastic measures.

"It is clear that the attack is just a distraction, they came here for something else," Orochimaru offered, trying to be cooperative for the time being.

"Obviously the prisoners," Shimura replied. "Those fools are too predictable, risking their own lives to save their so-called comrades. So be it. I will show them how idiotic their decision is."

"You don't mean to let them save the hostages, do you?"

Danzou smirked at his slithery companion.

"Sacrificing lesser for a bigger objective is part of war. Now stop annoying me and get ready. We are heading out to meet our 'guests'."

With those words, Danzou ordered his reserves to move against the Hyuga uprising, while he himself together with Orochimaru were intended to fight the attackers.

Orochimaru only grinned in response. Giving up his imprisoned enemies for a chance to destroy the attackers and crush the Hyuga… No matter what the old man said, he was an arrogant bastard. But the Sannin couldn't argue that it was a valid idea. By this point, he was just curious how will the rebels respond.

"Oh I wonder just what Tsunade is up to…"

* * *

Hinata and her squad rapidly advanced towards the Torture and Interrogation headquarters. They met with surprisingly little resistance, and Hinata could see why. With her Byakugan, the whole village was like on the palm of her hand. Most of Danzou's forces were battling the Hyuga led by her father and Naruto's group. Danzou clearly was giving up on Kakashi and other high-ranking hostages in exchange for securing victory over Hyugas and the initial attackers.

"You see it as well, Hinata-sama?" asked one of her distant cousins.

"Yes," she nodded, thinking. "We have to hurry if we want to help Father and others."

And hurry they did.

When they stormed the T&I department, Hinata was surprised by the battle already raging on inside. It seemed the staff there didn't take liking to their command and decided to take matters in their own hands. Hinata and her clansmen helped their struggling comrades to defeat the Root stationed in the building and the fight was quickly over.

"He's on the basement floor, room 5," told them Ibiki, holding up a wound on his shoulder. "I'll gather everyone. It's time we joined the fight."

Nodding in gratitude, Hinata rushed downstairs where the cells were located, getting more and more excited with each step. With her Byakugan she could see him and Sakura and many more in their separate cells. She didn't pay much attention to the rest, but Kakashi looked physically unharmed.

Coming up to his cell, she punched through the reinforced door with her Gentle Fist a few times, slowly but surely breaking the barrier.

Her husband's shocked face greeted her when she finally set foot into the chamber. Clearly, her disguise didn't fool him. Even with his mask on, she could tell he felt as overwhelmed as her. That gave her courage more than anything.

Emotions running high, she practically slammed into Kakashi, making the unexpecting man stumble and fall.

"Ouch."

"Sorry," she said, remembering that he had to have been weakened by the interrogation. Immediately, she started checking him for injuries, frantically probing his body. "How do you feel? Does it hurt here? What about here?"

"Dear wife–"

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi I–"

"Hinata–"

"I was so worried. Thank God you are okay! You look so pale, did they feed you at all? I swear if Ibikimhmm–"

Hinata's rant was stopped short by her husband's maskless lips pressed up against her mouth. It took a whole second for her to realize that she was being kissed, but thankfully, Kakashi didn't plan to stop anytime soon. Their first kiss was long and clumsy, with neither of them really knowing what or how to do. All they knew was why, and that was the only thing that mattered.

Finally, they separated, in need of air, panting heavily. Hinata didn't know about Kakashi, but her heart was beating as fast as she was breathing. She touched her lips, looking somewhere over the horizon. Until she heard her husband's attempts at speaking.

"Hinata," he began, uncharacteristically fidgety, "these past days in solitary confinement gave me opportunity to think. Before, with all the Danzou business I couldn't tell it, but now that I got a few days off, I realized. Not that I didn't have these feelings back then, it's just I prefer to deal with things one by one. Don't think that it wasn't important, no. On the contrary, I wanted to weigh everything up before–"

His stream of consciousness was interrupted by Hinata's giggle. She thought she got the idea of where her husband was going, but she wanted to see him squirm a little more. Secretly, she adored the sight.

"What I'm trying to say is, I have great affection for you and I would– No, that's not quite right," he muttered the last part to himself, before starting over. "Hinata, it may sound premature, but I think I love you."

Hinata's eyes widened. She didn't really expect him to come out like this. She thought she was prepared, but the reality hit her harder than she could've imagined. She opened and closed her mouth in a futile attempt to form a coherent response and say something.

"You don't have to respond immediately, I realize that it's very sudden." He coughed, lamely following it up by a "Yes..."

It was literally the most Hinata saw Kakashi speak in one go. She was sure he'd never acted so 'uncool' before in his life. Emboldened by this, she leaned in and gave him a short peck on the lips.

"It's not sudden at all," she said with a cheeky smile. "I mean, the attraction was always there. At least on my part…"

It seemed her courage ended there and now it was her turn to act all timid.

"So, do you want to… give us a chance?" Kakashi asked, looking her straight in the eye, searching.

"I'm your wife and I'd like to stay that way," she replied, feeling the blush hit her.

To her consolation, Kakashi wasn't faring any better. He pulled his mask back up to hide his reddening cheeks. The two of them sat there with identical grins on the cold floor of a smelly cell and gazed at each other, savoring the moment. Until a loud voice interrupted, that is.

"This was seriously the worst confession I've ever seen."

Turning, they saw Sakura stand at the entrance, leaning on the doorframe. The pink-haired kunoichi smirked, wishing she had a camera to picture their faces at that moment.

"As much as I'd love to let you continue with the sweet moment, we have a war to win."

Immediately, both Kakashi and Hinata's faces hardened. No longer an awkward couple but a deadly team stood before Sakura.

"Let's go," Kakashi agreed, standing and helping his wife up.

He stretched, warming up his body for much awaited action.

"Are you okay, sensei?" Sakura asked, looking pointedly at Hinata. She already knew Kakashi's answer, and to know the truth she better ask his wife.

"He is weakened from all the…" Hinata didn't want to say torture, "but his chakra reserves are almost full, and there don't seem to be any wounds."

"Thank Ibiki and Yamanakas for that. They convinced Danzou to use a torture method that doesn't inflict permanent harm," Kakashi replied, regretting his choice of words as Hinata winced from the word 'torture'.

His wife clearly wanted him to elaborate on what kind of torture method didn't inflict physical harm, but knew that it wasn't the time. Instead, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently in reassurance. Even though she was pretty sure she was the one most reassured by the action.

"Come on, everybody is waiting for us," Sakura reminded, as other prisoners were already gathered in the hall, awaiting orders. "Kakashi-sensei, you are the leader."

"Alright," the Copy Nin said, tightening the headband around his head. "Let's move."

With those words, their little army rushed out of the T&I. Just as they were rounding the corner, they were already met with enemies. Unlike all Hinata's previous encounters, the ninjas that were standing in their way were neither Root nor Hyuga. They were just regular Konoha jounins. Some of them she recognized from her missions, others she regularly saw in her favorite places to eat... Hinata was sure everyone present was familiar with at least one person from the opposing group, and it sickened her that they were about to fight because of someone like Danzou.

Both groups stood opposite to each other, neither wanting to fight their fellow Konoha shinobi. As during the last time Hinata fought them together with Gai, Danzou loyalists seemed unsure. Kakashi looked conflicted as well. It was clear he was hesitant to harm those he considered his comrades.

Just as he was about to ask those ninjas to let them pass, he heard a strong voice.

"_Citizens of Konoha, it is your Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju…_" the voice spoke, unmistakably belonging to the name.

Kakashi wasn't the only one who heard it, it seemed. Everyone else, including the ninjas they were about to fight looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, only then realizing that it was inside their heads. Meanwhile, Tsunade continued to speak.

"_…Please do not panic. I'm talking to every single one of you today, because I wanted to apologize…_"

At those words, jounins shared confused looks.

"_…I apologize for failing you. I couldn't protect Konoha from Danzou's tyranny a year ago, and now I have to come and fix my mistakes. For one whole year Danzou terrorized this village, spitting on the very foundation of Konoha's Will of Fire. He even went as far as imprisoning Naruto Uzumaki…_"

At that, many shinobi gasped in shock. Hinata was sure many civilians were appalled as well. Danzou's policy of hiding the truth was rightfully biting him in the back.

"Did you hear that?" Kakashi shouted across the street to the group of jounins. "Tsunade-sama is here. Naruto is here. We don't have to fight!"

"_…I am only asking you to endure one more day,_" Tsunade's voice kept reverberating in minds of everyone in Konoha. "_One more day towards our freedom…"_

With that, the telepathic message ceased, leaving the street in absolute silence. After a few seconds, the enemy jounins looked at each other, before lifting their hands in surrender and slowly approaching Kakashi's group.

"We mean no harm!" one of them rushed to explain, seeing Sakura's tense expression. He knew first-hand how ridiculously powerful the Sannin's apprentice was. "We want to join you against Danzou."

Hinata and Sakura exchanged a glance. Kakashi nodded, willing to give those people the benefit of the doubt.

"We are going to help Naruto and the rest," he announced to the newcomers, receiving a collective 'Yes, sir!'.

Kakashi and everyone waited for their new additions to integrate themselves within their group, before resuming their run. During their trek to the epicenter of the battle, they saw more and more Konoha shinobi turn against Danzou's Root. Hinata looked up at the sky, spotting Sai's bird with Tsunade and Ino on it. Judging from the direction of their descent, they were flying straight to Naruto and others. Hinata then glanced over at the battlefield itself, her eyes widening from what she saw there.

Or rather, _who_ she saw.

"Danzou and Orochimaru are engaged in the battle!" she reported, feeling everyone in her group tense up. "Tsunade-sama is headed there too."

"That settles it," Sakura voiced everyone's thoughts. "Naruto, Tsunade-shishou, we are coming!"

* * *

**Ah, I'm absolutely rubbish at writing intimate scenes.**

**The story is about to reach its climax soon. Is this what they call a cliffhanger?**

**Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, following, reviewing.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24.**

They've fought so many enemies over the course of the last hour that Sasuke had lost count. Bodies of slain Root piled up across the battlefield, and yet there was no end to their onslaught. The Uchiha warrior huffed as Naruto was exchanging banter with the enemy.

"Give it up, dattebayo," his blond friend said as he dispatched yet another of his opponents. "We can do this all day."

Did that idiot get dumber while he was in prison? Underestimating your enemy is the worst mistake a ninja can make, and those they were fighting weren't just some mooks. They were Root, one of the most elite shinobi organizations in the world. Sasuke knew firsthand just how formidable Danzou's army was – he fought them countless times over the course of the last year. Avoiding them had been a major pain, and more than once he was just a hair's breadth away from getting caught.

"Your bravado will not fool anyone," they heard that scruff voice of Danzou's. "No matter how strong, everyone has their limit. You have been fighting dozens of my best shinobi for hours now."

The usurper seemed to have just arrived on the battlefield, clearly intent on participating personally. Seeing his smug smirk Sasuke wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his wrinkled face. Only now the bastard joins them, after everyone is already tired from the fight.

"Look at your comrades," Danzou said as if the word left a foul taste in his mouth, "I doubt they will be able to continue like this."

Naruto, to Sasuke's dismay, did as was told and turned back. The Uchiha avenger rushed to help his friend but was halted by Root shinobi jumping in his way. Sasuke could only watch what was about to unfold. Because as soon as Naruto's eyes left the enemy, Danzou sprang to action.

"Naruto!" Sasuke heard himself shout despite being occupied with his own fight, just as the Sixth Hokage's Wind Blade pierced Naruto's shoulder.

Danzou's attack was so fast that even Sasuke's Sharingan almost missed the movement. And that was only because Sasuke expected the dirty move. It was testament to Naruto's own peerless speed that he managed to dodge just in the nick of time what would have been a fatal blow.

As Naruto glided around the blade that slashed his shoulder, he twisted his body and used Danzou's momentum to get behind the old coot. Summoning his beastly chakra, he struck the man's back and slammed his enemy to the ground with enormous force, only _slightly _guilty for feeling satisfaction at the crunch of Danzou's bones shattering underneath the Kyubi paw.

Despite the sharp pain in his left shoulder from his wound, Naruto couldn't help but feel relieved. Even if his hit didn't kill the bastard, his bones were crushed and his body pinned under the monstrous demonic chakra.

"Guess we won't be needing–"

Naruto didn't get to finish his sentence as he felt a sword stab his back. It pierced right through his body and he could see that the wind chakra blade sticking out of his chest unmistakably belonged to the man who was supposed to be lying dead before him.

"How?" was all he managed to say, coughing up blood.

His friends' anguished screams echoed in his head as Naruto fell on the ground. He saw all of them desperately trying to reach him even though there were enemies everywhere. Sasuke was right, he should've been more careful.

"Hmm, it looks like even now your Kyubi protected you. I aimed for your heart but the demon inside you seems to act as a barrier, and my blow was deflected slightly to the side," Danzou mused, summoning a new blade in his hand as the one in Naruto disappeared. "No matter," he sneered, lifting his sword above the fallen jinchuuriki to deliver a final blow.

"No!" he heard another boy's annoying voice before something peculiar happened: Instead of the jinchuuriki lying on the ground there was the Uchiha traitor crouched in his place.

That surprised Danzou enough to delay his blow, and as a result the Uchiha brat had gotten away unharmed.

Deflecting Danzou's sword, Sasuke jumped away towards Naruto's new location which was previously occupied by the Uchiha. He picked his friend's prone body and took a few forced jumps towards his other comrades. As soon as he appeared before them Shizune rushed to Naruto's side.

"His lung is pierced clean," the medic said barely touching Naruto. "His Kyubi chakra is dealing with the damage for the time being, but there is no way he can fight. It is taking everything in him to stay alive, much less conscious," Shizune concluded after a more thorough examination.

Meanwhile, the rest of their squad formed a protective line around them and waited for enemy's attacks. Surprisingly, nothing came. An almost unnatural silence hung on the battlefield, with only Sasuke's heavy pants disrupting it.

"Further resistance is futile," they heard Danzou's voice as they saw him approach. His stride was confident, and his vile smile seemed to stretch wider with each step. "Before you rebuke my wisdom once again with your naïve nonsense, I ask you to once again look at yourself. Look at your situation and think about it rationally. I'm sure I don't need to explain that there is no way you can win should you decide to fight."

Sasuke's scowl only deepened at the bastard's taunts. As the scum he was, Danzou only let them a moment of respite to recognize that they failed. He wanted them to let it sink in. The hopelessness of their situation.

Before, Sasuke was so consumed by their fight that he didn't notice it, but now that the battle had let up, he was fully aware that his Sharingan was steadily giving out. Wiping the blood that trickled down his face from his strained eye, the Uchiha began to truly fear for their lives.

"You may be strong, but I have been doing this for far longer than you have even existed," Danzou reprimanded, looking straight at Sasuke, letting the man know that he was aware of his condition. "Please do refrain from being a nuisance any further, I need those eyes, afterall. If you surrender willingly, I promise to spare all of your lives."

Of course, all that bastard cared about was power. The only reason he was even talking to them was to attempt to convince Sasuke to spare his Sharingan so that he could take it from him. Naruto's last attack cost him his precious _Izanagi_, and now he was likely desperate to get his hands on the last Sharingan left in the world.

Sasuke had to think fast. Danzou could crush them with a flick of his wrist, as they were surrounded by his Root from all sides. His greed for Sharingan's power prevented him from doing so, but Sasuke had a feeling that it wasn't for long.

"If you let them go, I'll give you the Sharingan," he shouted back, hoping that Danzou's greed will prevail.

His comrades protested of course, but Sasuke was adamant. His eyes were a very low price compared to his friends' lives. He just hoped Naruto won't hate him for giving up. Or himself, for letting Danzou defeat him despite him being aware of Izanagi and its power.

Sasuke waited for the answer to come, not paying any mind to his teammates' insistence that he retract his offer. Finally, Danzou spoke.

"What makes you think you can negotiate with me?"

With those words, the old Hokage appeared before the group, surrounded by his Root bodyguards. Somewhere during the pause in their fight, he retrieved his cane, and was now leaning on it once again, looking down on Sasuke.

"If you want these eyes," Sasuke said, pulling out a kunai and pointing its tip on his face, inches from his Sharingan, "you'll listen."

Danzou's own lone eye narrowed. He couldn't afford thinking that Sasuke was bluffing if he wanted his Sharingan and _Rinnegan_. After a tense moment the man relaxed, giving an almost imperceptible nod.

To Sasuke's relief and everyone else's horror, the Root around them parted, giving their group a clear way out.

"We are not abandoning you here," Anko declared angrily, tightening her grip on her kunai. Beside her, Sai also looked conflicted.

"You have to go. Look at Naruto," Sasuke calmly countered. "He is more important than me, and he cannot stay here."

Anko's gaze traveled to their unconscious blond friend, the realization settling. They couldn't stay unless they wanted to get Naruto killed. Letting Shizune carry him alone was also not an option, as Danzou was most likely to break his promise and go after them as soon as Sasuke surrendered.

"Come on, Anko, let's go," said Shiznune, bandaged Naruto already hefted on her back.

Exchanging meaningful glances, the three of them departed. Sai turned back one last time, the feeling of wrongness of the whole situation weighing heavily on his heart.

Sasuke waited for a few minutes to let them get away before he looked his enemy in the eye.

"Well?" Danzou raised his brow. "Your friends have gotten away and yet here we are, waiting for you to keep your end of the bargain."

The undertones of threat hadn't escaped Sasuke's ears. 'Give up or I'll send my people after your friends,' such was the meaning behind Danzou's words. With a heavy exhale, the Uchiha lowered his blade, letting Danzou's henchmen apprehend him.

"That wasn't that hard now, was it?" the false Hokage clicked his tongue, earning himself a glare from his captive. "Now that this business is finished… Orochimaru!" he called out.

"What do you want, Danzou?" the serpent Sannin replied evenly, seemingly appearing out of thin air behind Sasuke. His eyes briefly flickered to his former apprentice before they once again turned to the old Hokage.

"Go after the jinchuuriki. Bring him here, you can kill the rest."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Wait! You can't do this! We made a deal!" he yelled, trying and failing to break out of the Root ninjas' grip.

Both Danzou and Orochimaru smirked.

"As I said before, I have been doing this for far longer than you have lived," the old man sneered, letting Orochimaru go after his friends.

"What makes you think he will come back?" Sasuke asked, feeling panic settle in his heart. "He could just take over Naruto's body. He is just as strong as me!"

"If you think that I haven't considered that then you are even greener than I thought, boy," Danzou coolly replied. "But your concerns are unnecessary. That man has a strong fascination with you and only you, and he won't give you up no matter what. On top of that, the jinchuuriki is gravely injured, and all the damage of the container is transferred back to the host upon taking over. Simply put, Orochimaru has no desire nor means to cross me."

This time, the Uchiha avenger had nothing else to say. He was utterly defeated, and Danzou's smug delight only reinforced the feelings of despair and anger in him. He was about to use his last trump card in a final attempt to stop the monster before him when he heard a voice in his head.

"_Sasuke, we see you. We are coming. Try to hold on._"

It was unmistakably Ino's telepathic message. Sasuke felt infinitely grateful for the Yamanaka's ability. She was the only one aside from Anko who managed to escape Konoha after everyone was captured, and she's been an immense help to their war effort throughout.

"_I have a plan. How close are you?_" he asked back, hoping against hope that this communication was two-way.

To his relief, he heard Ino's voice reply in his head.

"_Right above you._"

"_Tell Tsunade to aim at me. She knows the rest._"

With those words, Sasuke waited for a few more seconds before lifting his head up. There she was – Lady Tsunade. She jumped out of Sai's bird and was flying straight at him, akin to a dropped missile.

Danzou and his goons also noticed the movement and lifted their eyes up, but it was too late. In an instant, Sasuke used his Rinnegan to swap himself with Danzou and jumped away. He didn't want to get caught in the destruction of Tsunade's imminent punch. The Rokudaime Hokage wanted to do the same but was shocked to see that he was being held down by two of his own Root ninjas! The splitsecond it took them to realize what had happened was enough for the Lady Sannin to land a devastating hit, practically obliterating the three of them on the spot, along with a big chunk of ground underneath, forming a sizeable crater at the point of impact.

Unlike Naruto, Tsunade immediately jumped away after her fist connected with the ground, not willing to risk in case Danzou survived. Her caution had proven to be prudent, as Danzou materialized several meters away from the spot of his demise.

Sasuke stood corrected. _That_ probably was Danzou's _last _Sharingan. He fought the man before, and there was no way the old ninja had any more left to use his Izanagi to keep reviving himself.

"You okay?" his thought was interrupted by Tsunade's voice beside him.

Turning his eyes, Sasuke saw that their enemies were not the only ones harmed by Tsunade's attack. His Hokage's right arm looked completely mangled, hanging limp at her side. Her free-fall punch from such a tremendous height had likely fractured her whole arm and ruptured all the muscles in it.

"Don't worry, brat, I still have my left," Tsunade said to him, no hint of pain in her expression.

"Would you look at that," they heard Danzou's gruff voice. He sounded pissed. "Two cripples standing side by side, trying to prove that impossible is possible." He slowly approached them as their eyes darted from side to side, spotting dozens of Root shinobi menacingly circling them. "That nifty little trick of swapping our places has fooled me for the last time!" he snarled, summoning gusts of powerful wind and sending it in his targets' direction.

The air violently smashed into them, sending Sasuke flying. Tsunade, who managed to hold her ground lifted left arm to her face to protect her eyes from all the dust and debris flying her way. Just as the Wind Release technique ceased, two enemy Root jumped towards her, aiming to finish off the disoriented former Hokage. Unfortunately for them, their opponent wasn't just some overpowered shinobi. It was one of the Sannin herself. Anticipating their move, she lifted her leg up and slammed it down on the first one, crushing him under her heel. Right after that, she caught the second one by his face with her left arm and squeezed, poor guy's eyes popping out of his face from the immense pressure.

"I don't like fighting, but you guys piss me off," she growled, her face and sizeable chest covered in blood of her enemies.

Tsunade's display and killing intent seemed to startle the Root a bit, and it was enough for Ino to sweep from above and get Sasuke on their bird. As soon as the Uchiha was aboard, she jumped off, allowing the inky summon to carry their injured friend to safety.

"Go after Orochimaru!" Tsunade shouted, "and don't you dare come back here if we lose!"

Sasuke wanted to stay and fight with the rest but he knew when to give up a bad idea. In his current condition he would be more of a hindrance to them. At least Orochimaru was chasing Naruto alone, and there Sasuke would be able to aid Sai, Shizune and Anko against the snake Sannin. With a resigned sigh, he relaxed a fraction and looked around as the bird dodged enemy's projectiles.

On his way out he spotted a familiar chakra signature. Turning his head towards the general direction of the signature, Sasuke was comforted to see Kakashi's form rapidly advance towards where Tsunade was battling Danzou. His former sensei had Hinata, Sakura and a whole little army following after him.

This time Sasuke truly allowed himself to rest. With Kakashi, Hinata and Sakura, there was no way they were going to lose. What Sasuke missed, however, was that somewhere in the distance Hyugas and other rebels were struggling against Danzou's forces.

Hiashi Hyuga and his allies were being pushed back by massive forces of Root and loyalists. It felt like the whole army of Danzou's concentrated their forces on them. With nowhere else to run, Hiashi chose to fight till the end.

"Hanabi!" his voice was almost lost in the rumble of jutsu thrown around. "Get out of here!" One little girl could probably sneak past in all the havoc that was going on.

"No way, Father! I can't leave you guys here to die!"

Just as Hiashi was about to exercise his rights as clan head and order her to hide, a large fireball blasted right between the two, separating father and daughter. Hiashi was quick to get back on his feet; he frantically looked around, searching for Hanabi. Terror struck him when he found his daughter lying on the ground, quite a distance away, unconscious. He bolted instantly.

In his panic-driven haste, he couldn't spot the enemy coming from the side until it was too late. Hiashi managed to dodge the fatal blow, but the sword still grazed his side. He ignored the wound and ran up to his fallen daughter, relieved that she didn't seem to be seriously harmed by the explosion.

Picking her up carefully, Hiashi discovered that he was now backed into a corner by three enemy nins. It would've been the end both for him and his daughter had Hiashi not spotted his clansmen approach his enemies from behind. The Hyugas quickly slayed the threat, and one of them came up to their leader, offering medical assistance. He stopped her with a raised palm and pointed towards his daughter lying in his arms. The medic nodded in understanding, and immediately started checking Hanabi's condition.

To Hiashi's surprise, she began to scan Hanabi with medical ninjutsu. Medical jutsu were much more common in the branch house, since they were the ones to be expected to serve as field ninjas. Now that he looked at her, he didn't recognize the woman. Hiashi's eyes widened in realization.

"You are from branch family,?" he stated, looking at the rest of her team. They all had their foreheads covered up.

"We are," one of them nodded, confirming for all of them. "The two houses may have stood on unequal grounds all this time, but we are still one clan."

Hiashi accepted the man's explanation, acknowledging the fact. Only then did he notice that these were not some stray branch house members. With his Byakugan he could clearly see that _all _of the shinobi from the branch house had joined the fight. And they were fighting alongside their main house relatives against Danzou.

With the Hyuga clan now back to its full power, they might stand a chance in this battle.

While the Hyugas were busy fighting Root, Sasuke had caught up to Sai and others. The Uchiha tried to get Shizune and Naruto on Sai's bird, but Orochimaru predicted that, prudently destroying the ink summon. Thus, their group was forced to run from the Sannin on foot.

Ten minutes into the chase, Sasuke, Sai and Anko were barely keeping Orochimaru away from Shizune who was carrying Naruto. The serpent Sannin was expectedly slippery, often stretching his body in unnatural ways to evade their attacks. As someone who fought the snake before, Sasuke was familiar with his techniques. Anko too, seemed to be well-suited for battling Orochimaru, as she was his former apprentice. As for Sai, the ex-Root was highly adaptable to any situation, so it didn't make much of a difference to him.

And even with all that, Orochimaru was steadily gaining the upper hand in their skirmishes.

"Dammit," Sasuke muttered after his attempt at Amaterasu failed.

The Uhiha's _Mangekyo Sharingan _was throbbing painfully, and he brought his hand to his eye, blinking the bloody tears away for umpteenth time. Sai and Anko needed one look at their teammate to see that there was no way Sasuke was going to fight his former master in this condition. Wordlessly, they swapped positions so that the Uchiha was closer to Shizune and therefore safer. He will be the last line of defense.

Orochimaru grinned amusedly. As much as their little reunion was pleasant, he had two bodies to retrieve. Danzou, arrogant bastard that he was, had allowed Sasuke to escape, leaving Orochimaru with cleaning up after him. Which, of course, was only better for the Sannin. He might even consider killing everyone and taking over Sasuke's body right away…

"Listen," he shouted, spurting up to get closer to his targets, "I don't care about the Uzumaki brat, so why don't you stay here and fight while the girl gets him to safety?"

Sasuke, Sai and Anko exchanged glances. For a second they considered his offer before shaking their heads. There was no reason for them to stop.

"A pity," Orochimaru said, before his amused expression completely changed into a dead-serious one.

He then suddenly stopped, making Sai turn around only to see that their enemy was no longer chasing after them.

"What is he doing?"

"He's summoning his snakes!" Anko answered, recognizing the hand seals. "Whatever it is, we better keep running."

When the final hand seal was over, Orochimaru crouched down to release thousands of snakes from his mouth. The creatures slithered on the ground, slowly advancing towards their prey.

"There is no way they are catching up to us!" Shizune yelled, also looking back confused at the underwhelming pace with which the snakes were moving.

Their confusion didn't last long, as Orochimaru immediately went into another set of hand seals. This time it was Sasuke who recognized the jutsu.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Orochimaru announced almost proudly, summoning wind of enormous power.

The snakes, picked up by the wind were now flying rapidly at the group.

"Stand back!" Sasuke shouted, his hands already in the process of performing a technique of his own.

Sasuke released a Great Fireball at the flying snakes, trying to burn them before they reached their target. Unfortunately, there simply were too many of them. The snakes dropped at them like rain of arrows, their combined numbers casting a shadow on the ground below. Sasuke and others tried to dodge, pulling out their blades to deflect the projectiles, but it was proving to be too difficult. It took all their concentration and skill for them to evade the poisonous bites.

While they were busy running through the sea of snakes that formed around them, Orochimaru was quickly catching up. They were apprehensive seeing him perform yet another jutsu.

"Let me show you why I am one of the Sannin!" the snake master declared, pulling out a sword and dashing towards them in powerful bursts.

The group of Konoha nins could only watch in dread as the snakes around them started to combine, transforming into a shape of… Orochimaru! Now instead of thousands of snakes there were dozens of Orochimarus. Sasuke didn't even know what was worse.

The clones had their swords out, all sporting identical amused grins. They were surrounding Sasuke and his teammates, taking turns at slashing at them.

"These are strong," Anko said as her direct hit didn't dispel the copy unlike the normal Shadow Clone. She shot two large snakes from her sleeves, capturing one. Anko's snakes bit the clone and began suffocating him, only for him to slice them in two with his blade.

Others weren't faring any better. Every time the clones were hit, they just broke down into individual snakes and reassembled back.

Using the last vestiges of his strength, Sasuke used the _Deva Path _of his Rinnegan to attract all Orochimaru's clones towards himself, simultaneously summoning his _Chidori Current_. As the bodies hit Sasuke, they were struck by the lightning enveloping him, getting electrocuted. It was a costly move, but a move much needed.

"Not bad, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru praised, "but don't get too excited, otherwise your body may not endure all the strain."

The Uchiha fell on his knees, panting heavily. Now both his eyes were burning, he felt his Sharingan revert back to his natural dark iris.

Orochimaru didn't wait for the man to regain his breath. With inhuman speed he appeared right beside the raven-haired ninja, intending to deliver a kick at his side. His attempt was promptly interrupted by Anko.

"Don't forget that you are fighting us too," she snarled, sending a sharp stream of fire on the Sannin, who was too close to dodge.

As soon as it hit Orochimaru it exploded, engulfing his whole body in flames. The resourceful serpent wouldn't die from that, though. With seeming ease, he shed his burning skin, coming out of it completely unharmed.

"Very well. I'll deal with you first," Orochimaru relented, once again lowering his sword to summon his devastating wind.

The group braced for impact that never came. Instead, they saw a large wooden wall right in front of them, protecting them from the powerful gust. They looked around, delighted to spot a familiar silhouette of Yamato.

The Wood Style user nodded, sending several wooden appendages towards their common enemy. It seemed he wasn't the only one who came to assist them, as a purple haired female ANBU had attacked Orochimaru while he was dodging the wooden spears. She slashed at his shoulder, spilling the snake's blood for the first time since their encounter today.

Orochimaru took a few cautious steps back, assessing his situation. Now there were two more highly skilled opponents against him. Theoretically, he could keep fighting, but who was to say that there weren't more coming? In any case, the war was likely lost. He was deliberating whether he should retreat back to Konoha or escape altogether when a whole army of soldiers appeared from his other side. They looked armored but that was about it. Orochimaru could feel that the mob facing him were no shinobi. Even so, an army was an army. It'd be suicidal to face them all alone and in his current condition.

With a slight frown, the Sannin chose to run. The ANBU girl was about to go after him when she heard Yamato's order.

"Let him go, Yugao-san."

It was too risky to follow the serpent. Besides, they had more pressing matters to deal with.

Yugao took her mask off, pouting.

"Who said you were in charge?"

"Kakashi-senpai," Yamato deadpanned, secretly feeling smug.

"But that's unfair!" the woman protested. "I knew senpai longer than you, pipsqueak."

Yamato's eye twitched at the nickname, but he refused to raise to the bait. He was older and bigger than her anyway.

"Why don't you tell them what's going on first?" he said instead, nodding towards Sasuke and others' direction.

Yugao sighed, turning to her comrades before explaining that ANBU were being called back to Konoha in massive numbers. This was dangerous, as the ANBU were a wild card – a lot of them were so untethered from reality that their Hokage's orders were the only thing that mattered to them.

"So, it can go either way," Yugao finished, "they could help us, or they could take Danzou's side."

"When are they arriving?" asked Sasuke as Shizune was treating Naruto's injuries in peace.

"Right now."

* * *

Kakashi expected their battle to go much worse, but once again his comrades surprised him. Not only did they manage to break into Konoha, but also start a whole uprising. Their village was steadily slipping out of Danzou's iron grip, judging by the number of allies they were gaining with each minute.

"Surrender, Danzou. Stop this madness, you can't win!"

The Rokudaime Hokage, surrounded by a contingent of his best Root bodyguards, only snarled in response.

"Never!"

And so their fight resumed. Two groups clashed back and forth, before eventually the battle broke off into a number of smaller skirmishes.

Sakura and Tsunade were fighting back to back against a whole squad of Root shinobi. Ino and Hinata were engaged in a battle of their own, quickly getting separated from Kakashi. While the Copy Nin had only one target in mind.

Kakashi's _Shiden _struck the first enemy on his way, blowing off his whole upper body. His eyes narrowed when he noticed Danzou right behind the slain Root, coming straight at him. Everything fell to the background at that point. Their comrades' screams as they died, and the sounds of distant battles faded as the two shinobi charged at each other. It was clear from both men's expressions that it was a duel.

Kakashi and his enemy's blades struck, predictably resulting in an impasse. Both looked into each other's eyes, killing intent fully bared. Danzou created a Wind Sword in his other hand, attempting to strike his enemy's side, only for it to get shattered by Kakashi's Purple Lightning. Kakashi used this opportunity to counterattack, but Danzou was quick to jump back, creating distance between the two.

From his spot, Danzou frowned, resummoning his sword jutsu. Now Kakashi knew that his Shiden was stronger than Danzou's Wind Blade.

With a little more than a second of respite, the two resumed their bout. They slashed and thrusted, parried and dodged, and yet, none of their attacks seemed to connect cleanly with their enemy. Both opponents began to pant slightly from the lengthy match, each sporting minor injuries from hits that almost landed.

"You are a strong opponent, I admit," Danzou chose to spoke, "but don't think for a second that your current condition will be enough to defeat me. One can only go so far with spirit alone."

Kakashi mentally frowned. His already normally quite average chakra reserves were draining even quicker due to the weakened state of his body. When it came to power and skill, he had the upper hand, but endurance was on Danzou's side in their duel. It didn't mean, however, that time didn't favor Kakashi.

"Even if you manage to defeat me, it's only a matter of time before others will put you down," he yelled, throwing a couple kunai.

Danzou deflected the projectiles with his sword, but the power behind the shots was higher than he expected. Chakra imbued kunai, he deduced as he stumbled a little, barely able to keep the grip on his Wind Blade. Kakashi used the opening and was instantly a few feet above Danzou, Purple Lightning aimed straight at his enemy.

Danzou jumped away from the Copy Nin's strike, performing hand seals mid air. When his jutsu was ready, he blew a dozen waves of Wind Release on his enemy in rapid succession. His barrage of wind bullets was met with Kakashi's signature Earth Wall, grinding it to rubble. The whole interaction created a sizeable cloud of dust, from which Kakashi lunged, his hand ablaze with Chidori.

Who did the Copy Nin take him for? The Sixth Hokage exhaled several small blasts of wind at his enemy. Kakashi tried to dodge, but with Chidori it was too difficult, and one projectile connected, piercing his heart. Danzou smirked as the Copy Ninja's electrical clone dissolved.

"It was a clever idea to use Chidori to bait me for attacking your Lightning doppelganger," he shouted into the distance. Had he hit that clone directly, he would've been electrocuted and the real Kakashi would've likely finished him off. "But you forget one thing."

With those words, Danzou jumped high and fired several wind blasts at the ground below, in the general area where he'd been standing. A second later, his opponent came out from under the earth, and Danzou was pleased to note that one of his blind attacks managed to injure the real Copy Nin.

"You thought you knew everything about me, but you don't seem to realize that I too have been studying you, Kakashi Hatake," he gloated as he landed back on ground a distance away from his wounded adversary. "I have gone through every report of your missions, every record of your battles, even your chunin exam fights. I know all of your little tricks. For instance, how you are fond of hiding underground while your enemy is distracted, only to strike from the side that they least expect," Danzou sneered, looking at Kakashi's injured left shoulder. "Below."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Looking underneath the underneath was what he always preached, and the old coot couldn't be accused of not following that. Thankfully, his wound was hardly significant. He instantly proved that by performing hand seals, only a fraction slower than normally, to shoot a mighty torrent of water at his enemy.

Danzou responded with a gust of concentrated wind. "Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!" he declared as the air met water, the two cancelling each other out. The water had blown upwards and fell back down, showering both adversaries like a miniature rain. Before the last droplet hit the ground, Danzou dashed forward, his Wind Sword in hand.

Kakashi sent a quick fireball at his enemy, not waiting for him to dodge and preparing his next attack right away. Summoning his Purple Lightning once again, he slammed it on the ground, using the little pool of water that his previous attack had created as a conductor to enhance his jutsu.

Danzou landed right in his trap.

The older shinobi screamed as the current enveloped him. Even though it wasn't enough to kill him, it paralyzed Danzou, making him ripe for picking. Sure enough, the Copy Nin was already sprinting towards him with that annoying purple lightning of his. Danzou locked eyes with his oncoming opponent, prepared for anything, when another person interfered by jumping in between them.

Kakashi's eyes widened as someone suddenly appeared on his way with a lightning technique of their own. The girl's lightning was yellow in color and seemed to cover her whole body. Both lightning wielders braced for impact, and in a splitsecond, it was over: The girl tried to swat Kakashi's palm away, but the Shiden that coated it pierced through her lightning armor, cutting her fingers off and plunging right in her heart. The Copy Nin was inches away from the Root agent, and he could clearly see the girl's face. That was when Kakashi's whole body froze at what he saw.

There, impaled by his hand stood his own wife! Life rapidly fading from her lavender eyes as she gazed at him emptily.

"K-Kakashi…" she brokenly said as life left her body, causing Copy Nin's face to blanch.

The horror of his action dawned on him full force. In his shock Kakashi didn't notice how his wife's hair seemed to be back to her natural color, despite the fact that she dyed it for todays mission; nor did he pay any attention to the fact that his wife was dressed differently than last time he saw her. All he could see was his hand driven in her chest, the blood pooling around the area and draining on his forearm. All he could hear was Hinata's whimpers and wheezes as she spoke his name, each syllable driving the knife deeper in his heart, each drop of her blood pounding in his ears as it dripped on the ground. All he could sense was the weight of his dying wife's body on his outstretched arm, and the crippling anguish from his own heinous crime.

It was Rin all over again, except even worse.

"Hi-Hinata?" he uttered in a small, unbelieving voice when a blade pierced his wife's body from behind and lodged firmly in his own abdomen. Kakashi barely felt the pain from getting stabbed. How could he, when what mattered to him the most was already dead?

Kakashi fell on his back, with Hinata's body landing on top of him, Danzou's sword connecting the two like a deadly pin. He could feel her limp body pressed up against his, and her lifeless eyes were inches away from his, gazing, unblinking, accusing.

Dead.

Hinata's blood trickled from her half-opened mouth onto his mask, its metallic taste making Kakashi wish he died sooner. Images of Rin kept appearing in his mind, her face sporting the same expression as his wife, both jumbling in his head, interchanging. His name being the last thing they spoke before he killed them.

He screamed.

Hinata was fighting three Root ninjas when she noticed that Kakashi had pinned Danzou and was about to finish him off. Thankfully, her momentary distraction didn't result in her death as Sakura and Ino had covered her back. After silently thanking her friends she turned back to her husband, shocked to see that someone had jumped in front of his Purple Lightning. Immediately, the alarms went off in her head. Because of that woman's sacrifice Danzou was unharmed. Hinata was sure that Kakashi, realizing that, would jump away or do something to counteract Danzou's attack, but was horrified to see that her husband was not doing anything. He just stood there, still as a statue, with a panic-stricken expression.

Hinata instantly tore off from her comrades and dashed to where Kakashi was fighting. She ran at full speed, watching in dread as her husband continued to stand unmoving, as if stunned.

"Kakashi!" she yelled, as Danzou thrusted his sword through the dead Root girl, piercing Kakashi together with her. "Kakashi!"

By the time Kakashi had fallen on the ground with the Root soldier's corpse on top of him, Hinata was close enough to see her husband without the Byakugan. All the color drained from her face as she looked at him. Kakashi's face had such an expression of utter heartbreak that Hinata found herself shaking. When his screams of agony filled the clearing Hinata couldn't hold back tears of her own.

"Kakashi!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, sprinting to save her husband. Whatever happened seemed to be causing a lot of suffering for him.

Meanwhile, Danzou stood above Kakashi's wailing, broken form. He looked down on his enemy, _the famed Copy Nin of Konoha_…

"Pathetic," he sneered, gripping the handle of his sword and plucking it out. There was no point in driving it deeper or twisting it – the man didn't pay any heed to physical pain.

Danzou just wanted to finish him off. Coming up closer to his defeated adversary, the Sixth Hokage couldn't help but gloat a little, relishing at the sight of his enemy's humiliation.

"Look at you, I doubt you even hear me," he said in between Kakashi's howls, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "All it took for you to crumble is for a girl that looked like your wife to die."

That was the weakness of people like the Copy Nin, he mused. They were too attached to their close ones. That was the reason why the Second died. That was the reason why Sarutobi died. And it will be the reason why Hatake dies today. It wasn't hard for Orochimaru to make one of his Root agents look almost exactly like Hatake's wife. And when that was done, it was easy to utilize her.

"Too easy," Danzou taunted, raising his sword, prepared to strike the broken excuse of a ninja down. "And once again, I have proven that you lot are wrong."

Danzou dropped his blade on Kakashi, anticipating the expression on the masked man's face as the life abandoned him. That never came to be, however, as someone slammed into the Hokage, sending him flying. His Wind Sword immediately vanished because of that, failing to touch his target.

"Who dares!" he barked, standing up, only to see a pair of furious lavender eyes rapidly closing in on him.

Danzou raised his arm, ready to summon his Wind Sword, only to get appalled at his limb's lack of response. He fired a barrage of wind bullets from his mouth instead, but the damn Hyuga girl powered right through them as if they were nothing! All Danzou could do was quickly summon his sword in his other hand and slash at her, but even that didn't do much – Hinata broke the wind blade with her Twin Lion Fist in one hit and sent the man flying with another.

Still on the ground, Danzou noted with dread that his jaw was broken and right arm completely crushed. After the girl's attacks he felt strangely drained of chakra, so there was nothing much he could do except turn around and run when he has the strength.

Hinata watched with hatred and disgust at the coward's prone form. She had half a mind to go after him but knew that there were things much more important right now than revenge. She turned to where her husband was lying; he seemed still struck with grief over her supposed death. He was no longer screaming, just holding the dead girl's body and swaying slightly from side to side. Once again, Hinata winced at how unnaturally similar the girl had looked to her.

Running up to her husband, Hinata crouched down, struggling to push the dead body away from Kakashi as he desperately clutched it in a hug. His grip was weak though, and Hinata's heart felt sharp pangs of guilt at the way he tried to latch onto 'her' dead body.

"Kakashi! Can you hear me? Kakashi!" she called to him, the tears coming back. "Kakashi, please!"

There was zero reaction from him. Kakashi's eyes had an empty look in them, as if he was looking through Hinata and not at her.

"He can't hear you. He is in shock. His mind is somewhere else," Hinata heard, sharply turning her head, her chakra flaring up ready to defend her husband.

It was unneeded, however, as the Hyuga felt relief to see that it were her friends.

"We gotta calm him down!" she heard Tsunade say, giving orders to Sakura and others.

Sakura nodded, coming up to her sensei and putting both of her hands on the sides of his head. Her palms glowed and quickly enough, Kakashi quietened, his eyes slowly closing and breathing returning to normal.

"Don't worry, Tsunade-shishou's instant sedation jutsu will knock him down for the time being," Sakura said, putting a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder.

Hinata was thankful for Sakura's skill as much as she was thankful for her friend's support. The two women shared closeness to Kakashi, so naturally they sought reassurance from each other.

"Now will somebody explain what the hell happened here?" Tsunade barked, eyeing Hinata as Kakashi's other wounds were being treated by Sakura.

Hinata wanted to go help but knew that Sakura alone would be sufficient. She was the only one who saw what happened, and as much as she wished to be close to her husband, she felt the need to explain everything properly to Tsunade.

"Danzou used… my clone to… to die for him," she said, sending a glance at the prone body of her lookalike.

Everyone looked at the dead girl, gasping at the uncanny similarity between her and their friend.

"That bastard!" they heard Tsunade mutter angrily and turned at her. "This practically smells of Orochimaru."

Tsunade's killer intent made some of them jump, her whole body trembling with rage.

Hinata watched in amazement at Tsunade's uncharacteristic display of tenderness, before the woman had finally calmed herself down.

"Hinata," she said, mustering up a weak smile, "good job."

They all then turned to look at Danzou, who managed to get back on his feet. There were ANBU and Root standing behind him. They seemed to just arrive, judging from their clean looks. Everyone tensed – this could get messy real quick.

"Finally," Danzou said through pain, swaying unsteadily as a couple of Root came up to support him. "ANBU, destroy the insurgents."

There were dozens of ANBU. They were ordered to report to their Hokage, and it seemed that was exactly what they did upon entering Konoha. Those that weren't present were likely fighting alongside Root in other skirmishes that took place everywhere else.

The ANBU hesitated for a second before some of them went to carry out the order. The rest soon followed, and a new battle seemed unavoidable. Just as the first move was about to be made, they all heard a rumble of hundreds of feet shake the earth. Turning their heads, they saw an army of armored civilians arrive at the battlefield. They looked scruffy, their different clothes and the presence of youngsters in their midst indicating the militia nature of their group. Some of them ANBU recognized as owners of their favorite food stalls and neighbors they remembered from the last time they left Konoha.

"These are citizens of Konoha, you goddamn idiots!" Tsunade scolded the confused ANBU in her classic manner. "They came to reclaim their village. Danzou killed everyone who stood in his way, including your own commanders! Will you still fight for him as he is about to kill civilians?"

The ANBU exchanged glances.

"It's true. Look who are you about to fight!" they heard a familiar voice come from the midst of those civilians, where surprisingly another ANBU came out of. "You all know me as Cat, I'm part of ANBU, just like you," Yugao began, coming closer to her comrades.

"What are you standing here for? I gave you an order!" Danzou screeched in the background, to no avail.

Meanwhile, Yugao continued with her speech.

"There," she gestured at the Copy Nin's unconscious body, "Kakashi Hatake, I'm sure he doesn't need any introductions. He's saved most of your lives more than once back in the day." She then moved her hand towards Tsunade, "There is my Hokage, _our_ real Hokage, fighting alongside her people!" As she said that, hundreds of Konoha civilians came up to stand beside Tsunade and other ninjas, ready to fight for their village. "Now look back at _your _Hokage," she told them, pointing at Danzou, surrounded by his Root, Konoha's ruins behind them. "Whose side are you on?"

"Don't listen to her!" Danzou yelled as the civilian army slowly approached, the ANBU were the only ones that stood between Danzou and them.

Root tensed up, ready to protect their leader. Some of the ANBU retreated back to where Danzou was standing, their choice clear. Most of them, however, lowered their swords, allowing the approaching civilians to pass right through their lines.

Danzou watched as his ANBU let the enemy pass with no resistance. His eyes hardened.

'_I guess this is it._'

He gave his final order. Root sprang to action. They shot jutsu at the civilians, their eyes widening as their attacks weren't dealing as much damage as they had expected. There were too many of the armored civilians for them to fight, and yet, they still fought to the end despite being completely overwhelmed.

The ANBU and other Konoha ninjas joined the fight, quickly ending what would've been a massacre from civilians part.

When the dust settled, Danzou seemed to be the last Root standing. He calmly looked around, seeing enemies everywhere. Civilians, ANBU, Tsunade and her gang – they were all there, surrounding him.

"Surrender."

He glanced at Tsunade, satisfied at least to see that she was in as bad a shape as he was. She looked a mess. But he knew that the offer was the last one he'll get. It didn't matter, really, since they were easily capable of detaining him by force. Traitors. Oh, how would he have enjoyed killing every single one of them.

He had one last trick up his sleeve, afterall. The Reverse Four Symbols Seal he placed on himself will explode upon activation, and the blast will obliterate everything within a five-meter radius. Now, who should he kill with it? Too bad he couldn't take all of them with him.

He watched the faces of his enemies. He was sure they could clearly see the killing intent in his eyes but he could no longer care. There were obvious choices, like Tsunade, or that Hyuga girl, he pondered, locking eyes with Hatake's wife. However, while he was choosing his last victims, something stopped him in his tracks.

Those damn civilians' faces.

Those faces were glaring at him, full of hate. Their fury didn't bother him at all, it was war. What hit him was the fight in their eyes. He looked at those ragged, unremarkable people holding weapons and clad in armor. It was the first time in his whole life he's seen those weaklings stand up for themselves.

Perhaps there was hope for Konoha, afterall.

They watched as Danzou closed his eyes, slowly exhaling. His expression looked defeated, almost resigned compared to the hard determination he displayed only moments prior. Hinata wondered what had changed in Danzou in such a short amount of time?

"I give up," he sighed. "You win."

With those words, Danzou simply offered up his hands for handcuffing. Civilians celebrated while everyone else let a sigh of relief. After their prisoner was secured, Tsunade dispersed the ANBU to assist others against the remaining Root, while Hinata went back to attending to her husband.

Even in his sleep, Kakashi looked disturbed. His brows creased, small moans escaping his lips. Hinata cursed Danzou for umpteenth time for doing this to her husband. Her blood boiled with rage just at the thought of Kakashi experiencing a living nightmare because of the old bastard. His teammates' deaths was a painful subject that had almost broke Kakashi before, and Hinata could only imagine the horror he must've felt at reliving it once again.

She kept stroking his hair, whispering soothing words even though there was no way for them to register in his mind. She didn't know what else to do so she will patiently wait until Kakashi wakes up. Thankfully, his wounds were quickly tended to by the best medics, so the only thing of immediate concern was his mental state. Who knew what kind of emotional state will he be in upon regaining consciousness.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25.**

It was the middle of the night when Kakashi woke. Even before he opened his eyes he instantly knew where he was; the distinctive smell of disinfectants and antiseptics couldn't be mistaken for anything else.

Konoha Hospital.

Still groggy, he propped up on his elbows, attempting to sit up straight. That was when he noticed another presence in the room. There, right at the foot of his bed, was a girl. Kakashi's eyes widened when he recognized that tress of dark blue hair and those clothes.

"You are awake," the girl said, smiling as if to mock him.

Anger washed over the Copy Nin's face as the woman before him blatantly wore his dead wife's face. Her smile dropped as she felt the killing intent coming from him.

"Kakashi, it's–"

The impostor didn't get to finish her excuse as Kakashi sprang from the bed and grabbed her in a tight hold; he will not allow her to poison his mind with Hinata's voice any further.

"Who are you? What happened to my comrades?" he growled as he pinned her down on the bed, her arm in a wristlock.

Leave it to Kakashi to act according to the worst possible outcome in any situation, Hinata thought, trying to calm herself first so that she could calm him next. She would've rolled her eyes if the pain from her wrist being twisted wasn't too demanding. Honestly, she should've expected this reaction. It was Kakashi they were talking about, afterall.

"Answer me!"

"Kakashi, calm down! It's me, Hinata!"

Kakashi could clearly see that this was no mere illusion. Even without the Sharingan he could tell that it was all real, unless the genjutsu of the Tsukuyomi level was involved. Whatever was going on here, with this girl? She felt like Hinata, she sounded like Hinata, she even smelt like Hinata…

Wait a minute. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the girl under him and taking a sniff.

"Hinata?" he asked, not believing himself.

"I understand you are happy to see your wife safe and sound, but could you wait a bit until at least your wounds have healed?" the two heard another voice just as Hinata was about to explain everything to her husband.

Turning, Kakashi saw Tsunade-sama stand at the door, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

Now that everything caught up in his head, Kakashi finally relaxed his hold on the woman under him, allowing her to escape the wristlock. His wife scampered off the bed and took her previous place on the chair next to it, looking absolutely flustered.

"Jeez, I'm glad I told Hanabi to wait outside before I checked up on your dumb ass," Tsunade spoke, coming up to the confused man. "Imagine her shock if she entered to the sight of you two fooling around."

Hinata's face heated up at the older woman's insinuation. If only what she said was remotely close to the truth. She sent Kakashi an irritated look. The man before her was gawking at her, seemingly only now realizing that she was the real Hinata and not some crazy plan of Danzou's to get to him. Then again, her eyes softened as she remembered that it was almost the case.

"Next time you get injured, please try not to jump on the first person you see after waking up," she pouted, rubbing her wrist.

She was about to comment on her husband's own condition before Kakashi's arms enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

Hinata smiled, wrapping her arms around his back.

"I know."

"I have so many questions right now."

"I know."

"Your wounds reopened," Tsunade blatantly interjected, her voice deadpan, making the man chuckle. Hinata always liked the feeling of his chest rumbling when he did that.

"I know," he said, repeating after his wife. Their eyes have not left each other even after they separated from the hug, still holding hands.

Tsunade's eye twitched.

"Then why are you still not lying, you dumbass?" she barked, practically forcing the Copy Nin down into his bed. "Look after your self-destructive man while I go get the nurse, will you," their Hokage threw before leaving the two alone.

The door closed with a loud slam, and the couple exchanged amused glances. The amusement, however, quickly turned to concern in Hinata, as she took a look at her husband's injuries. The bandages around his torso had begun to stain red, and he she could tell he was feeling residual pain.

Kakashi, in turn, winced seeing the look on his wife's face. It was Hinata's "mom mode" face. Hanabi won't let him lie, sometimes it was better to pretend nothing happened than let Hinata "take care" of you. His wife seemed to mistake the reason of his wincing as pain, and immediately went to treat his wounds.

Needless to say, a minute later when the nurse and everyone else entered his room they were treated to an adorable sight of Hinata doting over her husband. Kakashi looked decitedly uncooperative as she hovered around his bed, making sure he felt comfortable.

"Oh, quit complaining. Kakashi, you are like a child," she admonished after he refused to let her fluff up his pillow.

The others' snickers were not so discreet, and Kakashi had no other option than to glare at those traitors. Even Sasuke was smirking smugly, as if the same thing hadn't happened to him and Sakura.

While the nurse checked Kakashi's dressings, Hinata explained to everyone what had happened. Hanabi smirked knowingly, holding out her hand. Everyone else groaned, handing the money to the girl's outstretched palm. Turns out they made a bet on how Kakashi will react after waking up, and Hanabi was the only one who guessed right. Hinata shook her head as her little sister was counting her winnings, when the nurse came up to their group.

"Very good job, Hinata-san," the nurse praised her patchwork. "It is impressive how you managed to treat all his wounds in such a short time. Normally, it takes much longer to do it."

"Oh, really?" Hinata singsonged, narrowing her eyes at her grouchy husband. "I'm sure he'll be more sensible from now on. Right, Kakashi?"

The man addressed only sighed and closed his eyes. It was no secret that he was a difficult patient, but if it takes Hinata off his case then he was willing to cooperate.

Everyone laughed, joking about who was wearing pants in the couple's relationship, embarrassing the two even more. Eventually, the excitement settled down and Yamato, Yugao, Sasuke, Sakura and Sai left after wishing Kakashi a swift recovery. The only ones who remained, apart from the patient himself, were Hinata and Hanabi.

"So…" Kakashi began, curious for answers, "what happened?"

Hinata understood what he meant by that question. Afterall, with all the bustle around she'd totally forgotten to talk to Kakashi about the outcome of their battle.

"We won, as you could've guessed by now," she said, using the opportunity to think on how best to approach the subject of her 'death'.

Kakashi nodded, letting her know that he wanted her to continue.

"Apparently, Danzou had someone from his Root to get killed by you, pretending to be me, so that you… You know," she exhaled, giving her husband a meaningful look.

"So that you freaked out and Danzou could win," Hanabi finished, disgusted at the enemy's dirty tactics. "That bastard…"

Kakashi chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately. He was glad that all of that had been a ruse. Come to think of it, he should've realized it back then. There were too many things that didn't stack up. Instead, he humiliated himself in front of everyone. Great.

His down mood was so obvious that even Hanabi looked concerned.

"Hey," he heard her say, "What happened back there – don't let anyone hold it against you. And if somebody is giving you hard time because of it, just tell me and sis and we'll kick their butt. Right, neechan?"

"That's right," Hinata nodded, proud of her family. There was nothing shameful in Kakashi's actions. She leaned in and gave a short kiss to her husband, telling him as much.

Hanabi rolled her eyes at the lovebirds, but for once, refrained from commentaries. Let the two have their moment.

"Thanks," Kakashi said, feeling much lighter than moments before. He was surprised how much their reassurances had cheered him up.

"No problem." Hanabi replied, trying to fight the incoming blush at what she was going to say next. Despite herself, it only came out as a muttering under her nose.

"What was that?" Kakashi asked, seemingly curious. Hinata's reaction had only made him want to know what was that Hanabi said last even more.

"I said, you are my niisan, afterall."

Kakashi was stunned. He stared at the girl, mouth agape, making Hinata beside him giggle. Slowly, a goofy smile appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but pat the girl's head once again.

"W-what's so surprising?" Hanabi questioned defensively, clearly embarrassed. "He is your husband, isn't he? That makes him my brother-in-law."

"Doesn't mean Kakashi can't be happy about it," Hinata whispered, leaning down so that her husband couldn't hear. "Look at him."

Even concealed by his mask, Kakashi's grin was obvious to the two Hyugas. Hinata smiled, guessing that her husband was already thinking about all the things he was going to teach his new sister. Hanabi, in turn, felt a little less embarrassed. Gray-hair's happiness kinda made up for it.

Soon Hanabi asked them about their fight with Danzou, in turn telling them about her own against the Root. They caught up on the latest news in Konoha somewhere along the conversation. Apparently, Danzou was arrested. Tsunade was restored to the position of Hokage. Some complained, but the absolute majority was glad for the change of command. Those old councilors, Homura and Koharu, had readied the soil for the relatively smooth transition of power. Civilians were surprisingly less opposed to Tsunade as their Hokage. Overall, it seemed everything was steadily getting back to normal in Konoha. Everyone, especially civilians, was looking forward to the reforms Tsunade-sama promised as Hokage.

"The only problem is that Orochimaru is nowhere to be found," finished Hinata. "It's as if he vanished. Tsunade-sama is saying that he was announced for international search, so he probably won't escape for long."

Kakashi nodded. For now, Orochimaru was not a threat. What worried him was something entirely different. Just as the thought crossed his mind the door opened and Tsunade entered the room.

"You still here?" she said looking at the three of them. "Kakashi, let your girls some rest, will you?"

It was clear from the expression in the older woman's eyes that she wanted to speak to him alone.

"It's okay, Tsunade-sama. They don't need to leave."

The Fifth Hokage raised her eyebrow. "You sure?"

Kakashi nodded. It was thoughtful of Tsunade to consider his privacy, but he had nothing to hide from Hinata and Hanabi. Besides, he already knew what they were going to talk about. Tsunade was clear in all their prior conversations about her plans for him.

"Alright," she said, coming up to his bed and taking a seat at the last vacant chair. "I'm sure you know what I'm here for, but just in case you are more stupid than I give you credit for, I will ask again: Did you think about my offer?"

Hinata and Hanabi exchanged glances, confused.

"Tsunade-sama…"

"Don't 'Tsunade-sama' me, brat. You had more than a year to make a decision. So what is it, yes or yes?"

Kakashi gave her a deadpan look. Easy for her to ask.

Tsunade sighed, her normally stern gaze softening.

"Listen, Kakashi, you know very well that I'm asking you this not because I want to. Heck, I understand what you are thinking; I too was never meant to become Hokage, yet here I am," she said, making Hinata and Hanabi gasp in shock. "You and I both know that you are the best candidate for the job. As moronic as you are, you are the most capable person I know."

Kakashi chuckled at the unusual compliment. Tsunade must be getting desperate if she started praising him.

"And don't give me this Naruto crap, the brat isn't ready," the woman continued before Kakashi could argue with her. "He is a freaking genin, and as strong as he is, he has a lot to learn before even thinking of receiving the mantle."

Tsunade frowned. How couldn't he see that Naruto wasn't ready? What happened yesterday was a proof of his lack of maturity. How could he allow himself to be surprised by Danzou when they had already established that the old man had Izanagi? His complete lack of tact, or knowledge of history, his current ineptitude to politics. All that made him as good a Hokage as a shrimp would be. It will be Kakashi's job to guide the new generation, including Naruto.

Meanwhile, Hinata and Hanabi were looking between the two older shinobi, waiting for Kakashi's answer with bated breath.

"Then what about me?" Kakashi finally spoke. "I was Danzou's right hand man, remember? It's impossible for me to become Hokage. Nobody will trust me!"

"You think I haven't thought about that? I'm not dumping the responsibility on you, don't worry. I'm planning to hold on for the title for some more, at least until the situation stabilizes. But don't you think it's impossible for you to become Hokage just because you are bad in some people's eyes," she countered. "Naruto was once hated by everyone, and now he is a hero. You'll just have to do the same thing he did: prove to them that they are mistaken, with your actions."

Kakashi slouched back into his bed. Resigned, he exhaled and glanced briefly at his wife. She smiled reassuringly, giving him courage to speak.

"Alright. I agree."

Tsunade stood up. "You sure?" she asked, as if it mattered.

"Yeah, I am sure. Why do you ask? It doesn't matter anyway; you are still going to force it on me even if I decline."

"It matters more than you think. And nobody is forcing anything on you."

"Doesn't mean that I can refuse."

Tsunade shook her head, understanding completely the man before her.

"No, it doesn't," she agreed, before heading out towards the door. "Oh, and don't be so discouraged. This job has more perks than you think."

With a wink, the Hokage left her successor alone with his family. Afterall, great sake as gifts from foreign dignitaries was one of the perks of her job.

"Wow, you are going to be Hokage! That's so awesome, dude!"

Kakashi chuckled at Hanabi's attempts to cheer him up. She was clearly excited about the news, but she was perceptive and understood that not everybody shared her excitement about becoming Hokage. Hinata, for instance, was more reserved in her congratulations.

"No matter what you decide, we will support you," she said, placing her hand on his and giving Kakashi an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, and besides, I just thought of it now, but you becoming Hokage is cool on so many levels. Just think about it: your sensei was Hokage, your student will most likely become Hokage, and if you are also Hokage that makes it extra awesome!"

Hanabi's enthusiasm was contagious. Kakashi no longer felt as scared of taking up the role when those two were supporting him so wholeheartedly. It almost looked like they were prouder than he was. In retrospect, that was probably exactly the case. It was as if he needed someone to believe in him for him to accept it.

"Thanks, guys," he said, cheering up.

He soon started talking with Hanabi about what being Hokage entailed, and Hinata watched proudly as her husband interacted with her little sister. Hanabi looked up to him a lot, and Hinata knew that Kakashi found a staunch supporter in her sister.

She allowed a grin to spread across her face as Kakashi winked at her mid-conversation.

Hinata had no doubts that everything was going to be fine.

* * *

**_Two years later_**

"Kashi, how many times I need to tell you to give boys their steak!"

"But Sunshine, we are having barbeque now, aren't we?" Kakashi argued, waving the spatula in his hand, the bright purple apron saying 'No. 1 Hokage' proudly on him.

"I still can't believe he willingly agrees to wear that," Hanabi said with a smirk beside her older sister, pointing at the ridiculous apron. She was now a proud chunin, planning to apply for jounin next year.

"What are you talking about, Boss will wear anything Mrs. Boss makes for him," Biscuit spoke up, making everyone else in the yard laugh.

It's been an inside joke of sorts for Hinata to gift him purple garments every now and then. It all started with a scarf, and now Kakashi could boast of an impressive wardrobe of purple articles of clothing; he even had a mask of that color! Not that he'd ever wear it outside his own house.

"I thought you wanted your steak…" Kakashi threatened his ninken, daring them to make fun of him again.

"Kashi," Hinata looked at him sternly, "You promised them steak _two years _ago!"

"But the barbeque…" he attempted to fight weakly.

"You are already making barbeque. Couldn't you make a few steaks for your loyal ninken?" his wife asked, making that pleading face he always had hard time resisting. Behind her, Pakkun and others were sporting such smug snouts that he almost considered saying no.

Feeling his resolve crumble, he sighed. "Fine, I'll make your steaks, happy now?" he grumbled, giving the spatula to Yamato so that he could go bring more meat.

Hinata stopped him along the way to give him a quick peck.

"Quite," she said, trying not to feel too embarrassed at others' snickers and whistles. "Want me to help?"

"No-no, you stay here and enjoy the food with others. No need to strain yourself."

Hinata rolled her eyes playfully. "Kakashi, I'm only three months pregnant."

"Remember what Sakura said? Your symptoms may worsen," he countered, absolutely assured. "It's only a few steaks anyway."

When her husband left, Naruto came up to Hinata, offering her a drink.

Thanking her friend, she accepted the lemonade and they began conversation.

"Congratulations, by the way," her blond friend said, his signature grin in place.

"Thanks, but didn't you already congratulate us?" Hinata giggled.

"I was talking about Hanabi-chan's promotion," Naruto chuckled. "But your and Kakashi-sensei's baby deserves congratulations more than once too."

The two laughed at his silly joke and joined their other friends' company. They all had greatly matured since the war, and Naruto was probably the one that grew most. Hinata could imagine him taking up the mantle of Hokage from Kakashi a few years from now. He had long ago talked things out with her about her confession, and Hinata was relieved to know that he did not reciprocate her feelings. He explained that he was too afraid to reject her, but his guilt couldn't prevent him from addressing her confession. Since then, Naruto had a more open mind to relationships and wasn't scared of hurting someone's feelings by rejecting them. He was very popular with the ladies, afterall.

"But you know, teme," the blond jinchuuriki said, talking to Sasuke, "even you and Sakura-chan had a baby. Why did it take all of you so long?"

"Look who's talking, idiot," Sasuke replied, his cheeks heating up. "When are you going to ask that Academy teacher out?"

It was Naruto's turn to bumble and blush like a fool.

In the years following the war, Konoha experienced a baby boom. Almost everyone in their generation had or were expecting a child. In fact, Hinata and Kakashi were the last ones to have one.

"Kakashi keeps saying that I'm too young for a child," Hinata said bashfully, trying to save her blond friend from further embarrassment.

"And yet here you are," said Kurenai suggestively, making the girls giggle. "Honestly, your husband can sometimes be such a dork."

Right as the woman said that, Kakashi entered the yard, challenging Gai for a cooking contest out of the blue. Beside the two, Yamato and Yugao immediately volunteered to be judges. Poor Gai had no idea how rigged that competition was from the start. The ninken, worried that their steaks will be lost to Kakashi's accomplices, went to make sure they will have enough left for them.

"I'm glad he is the one, though," Hinata said, a soft smile on her face as her hand went down to cup her growing belly.

A few meters from them, Hanabi was bragging in detail to little Mirai about her chunin exams and how she was going to learn the Purple Lightning, seeing as Kakashi was the one teaching her now. Little Mirai's eyes almost sparkled at the older girl's stories, and she asked her if she could join in on their training sessions with the Seventh Hokage. Shikamaru looked bored but listened in on Hanabi signing up Kakashi for babysitting Mirai anyway. Afterall, one of their most respected (strangely) ambassadors to Suna had access to Temari, and he happened to have a few things for Hanabi to pass to the Kazekage's sister...

Looking back towards her husband, Hinata caught a wink from him. She smiled, pointing a finger at Gai. The poor man had predictably lost the challenge, and now was forced to promise to babysit Kakashi's kid in the future. Poor guy didn't even realize what he signed up for, although he didn't look like he minded. Kakashi and his old rival shared a hearty laugh and began preparing steaks for his canine companions.

Hinata couldn't help but let a contented sigh. The warm spring day, a barbeque with her friends and family – there was nothing that could possibly dampen her mood. Even civilians were starting to warm up to their new Hokage. It had been hard at the beginning, but seeing him work hard to clear up his name and lead his people into the new age, people accepted Kakashi. With him, Konoha was experiencing the period of rapid economic growth and overall prosperity. His actions during the Orochimaru crisis had earned him respect among shinobi and civilians alike, but it was another story.

What was important now, was that he was happy. And Hinata couldn't be happier.

They all spent the rest of the day in laughter and warm conversation, looking forward to what life brings them next.

**The End**

* * *

**That's it, folks. Everything has to come to an end, and this fic is not an exception. Thanks to all who spent their time on reading and reviewing my work, it truly was a blast writing it and receiving your feedback. From the start I knew how I was going to end it, and I am pretty happy with the result. Fluff and action is what I like the most.**

**On a side note, I planned to write a smutty scene and even wrote the initial draft. However, I soon realized that it doesn't fit the tone of my story. Also, I am pretty horrendous at writing these kinds of scenes. If only you could read what I wrote, oh dear, you'd be laughing your backsides off.**

**With this little denouement, I am closing the story and congratulating all the people who finished it. We made it, guys! Also, I established a foundation for a potential sequel, although I have no idea if I'm going to write one. I'm not disappearing anywhere though, and hopefully I can make something decent in the future.**

**Thank you, and have a good day,**

**dippitydee**


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